The Last of the Dragonlords
by Chapgirl
Summary: Zuko's everyday life as Firelord changes drastically when a stranger arrives, assigning him with the duty to raise his own dragon and claiming to be the last of a long known-to-be extinct group of specialty firebenders. Picture's my OC.
1. Chapter 1

"So you see, my Lord, I think that the amount of chickens he's giving me in return is not the same worth as my cow!" The farmer to his feet explained. Zuko raised one eyebrow, leaned back and rubbed his temple. He was sick of all the people complaining to him. Not that he disliked his post as Firelord; he just sometimes wished for the old times to return, where he'd travelled with the Gaang and enjoyed his nomad lifestyle.

"You shall have two chicken more, not four, and have that as a set trading price for the future." He finally decreed and the farmer backed away, nodding gratefully. When he'd left the throne roome, Zuko sighed.

"How many more?" He asked Suki, who hadn't only taken her post as his bodyguard permanently but had in term developed into one of his most trusted advisors. Especially when it came to Earth Kingdom - Fire Nation matters.

"Just one." She answered him. She was dressed in fulll Kiyoshi attire, as every Friday, when official audiences were held. Zuko also wore his most formal dress, as well as his fire emblem. His hair had grown long enough to be pulled up into a bun, but he still prefered to wear it open most times. Of course that was only when he had the leisure to do so.

"Alright, let them in." He stated, gave a wave with his hand and his footmen opened the door. The person who came in was different from what he'd expected. It was a rather small figure, covered in a brown hood so that he couldn't make out their face. The person came forward and bowed their had slightly.

"My Lord."

Zuko could make out definitely female voice. He was a little irritated by the lack of respect that this woman was showing by not bowing to him in the proper manner, but then again he was too tired to complain.

"State your affairs." He said in a cold, official tone. "And remove that hood. I prefer to know the looks of the people I converse with."

"As you wish." The stranger answered, removed the hood and looked up. Zuko was gazing at one of the most fascinating faces he'd ever seen. Her features were definitely those of the fire nation with the familiar skin tone and the gleaming golden eyes. Her nose was slender and her lips rosy. But the most dazzling feature to her was her bright red hair. She wore it short and lit by the setting sund that streamed through the throne room windows it seemed as if her whole head was on fire. Zuko caught himself staring and cleared his throat.

"So, who are you?" He asked, trying to conceal his embarassment under a demanding tone.

"My name." the woman said "is Asahi. And I've come to represent the Sun Warrior Tribe as their officially recognised head and princess."

He could hear Suki suck in her breath beside him. The woman'S tone did have a royal and proud ring to it and never once did her gaze sway from his eyes. All the while she seemed to hold something hidden under her cloak.

"Princess?" Zuko asked, irritated "I've seen the sun warriors and the last I checked their head was an elderly man."

"Whereas that is true, I assure you I'm here now as the exact same person that I state to be." The woman, Asahi, stated.

"And how do you intend to prove that?" Zuko squinted his eyes in suspicion.

"I have brought something with me that will lead you without a doubt of my position." She explained.

"A present?" He asked.

"Not really, no. It is more of an assignment, an order, so you will." She said, her eyes clear as day.

"Who in the world has the insolence to give me orders?" This woman was getting on his nerves. Not only was he extremely suspicious towards her, but she had displayed so little courtesy that it bothered even him.

"The masters." All of a sudden, her stern gaze went soft. "Ran and Shaw."

Zuko's eyes widened in astonishment. The dragon masters?! How could that be? And how in the world would they give him an assignment.

"...what?" Was all he came to say.

"I have here with me a token of their appreciation as well as a test of your skills as a proper Firelord." She said, then held up a large egg, the size of a human newborn. But that was not the oddest feature of the egg. It was gleaming in red and yellow colours as if it were made out of glowing ember.

"Wow..." Sukis voice at his side trailed off.

"This" Asahi said "is a dragon's egg. It has been laid by the masters and was entrusted to you. Your assignment is to raise this baby dragon under my care and to become a splendid partner to it." She finished. The whole room had fell into utter silence. Zuko slowly got up from his thrown and descended towards Asahi.

"But..." Zuko stammered "An egg...? The dragons..."

"Will get another chance with you and me, yes." She finished his sentence, then glance back at the egg. Her expression was that of motherly love.

"With you? Why with you?" Zuko asked. In the face of this enormous duty he did not care for formalities any longer. She looked up and, for the first time, smiled.

"Because I, Zuko, am special." She said in a low voice.

"Who are you really?" He asked. She didn't answer him immediately, but gestured him to come over and take the dragon's egg. He did and almost dropped it in surprise. It felt warm and what was more, it was pulsating. He stared at Asahi.

"I am the last of the Dragonlords." She answered him, smiling mysteriously. Then she raised her hand to her mouth and blew over it. Suddenly, a crowd of butterfly-shaped flames were erupting from her palm and filling the room, tinting it in orange light. Zuko flinched when one of the butterflies was landing on his cheek, ecpecting the sharp pain of a burn, but instead feeling nothing.

Not only did this girl claim to be the princess of the Sun Warriors and a Dragonlord, she also carried around a dragon's egg and was able to bend fire that held no heat. She took a step towards him, put a hand on the egg and then flashed him with the warmest of smiles.

"With the two of us working together we can make the dragons return to their old glory."


	2. Chapter 2

As the matter was one of great urgency and importance, message was sent out to Aang and his friends as well as Iroh, who still advised his beloved nephew time and again. Asahi was advised to one of the rooms and had taken the dragon's egg with her, after gently taking it back from Zuko. The Firelord himself was not sleeping well that night, tossing around in his giant bed, feeling ominous and wondering what the morning would bring.

Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph had announced to arrive in the morning, and so they did. Zuko had ordered breakfast for all of them in the counseling room and they were already helping themselves after a long night of traveling when Asahi entered the room.

Zuko stood up from his chair and the others followed, being intensely interested in the woman that he and Suki had described. Asahi was draped in the traditional Fire Nation tunics that they had offered her the night before and nodded shortly to greet the group.

"Hello." She said. "My name is Asahi."

She sat down at the empty spot and introductions were made. She looked at them with a friendly, yet intense gaze.

"I know who you are." She said simply after they had inroduced themselves. "Everyone does."

They looked at her in bewilderement. She was used to it. Usually people tended to disliked her for her direct manner, but the Gaang seemed to cope with it slightly better than the rest.

"Well, all the better!" Iroh announced "Then there's no need to explain our situation, is there." He held up a teapot, offering to fill her cup and she nodded thankfully.

"More time for you to tell us your story." Aang added.

Being in front of the group that almost singlehandedly shaped a fallen country anew was indeed a little intimidating. But Asahi, spending most of her time with two humungous dragons, was used to intimidating.

"Tell me, Asahi, what exactly is a Dragonlord?" Katara asked.

"Well..." She started. "We used to be a clan of Firebenders with some special abilities."

"Like shooting lightning?" Sokka interrupted "Because we've had our fair share of that."

Asahi looked at him, stunned, then she chuckled slightly.

"No." She said and shook her head. "No lightning bolts from me. A Dragonlord is someone who can communicate with a dragon on an entirely different level. You could almost say, we can talk to them."

"Talk to a dragon?!" Everybody except Zuko and his uncle stared at her in wonder.

"Yes." She answered "Usually, the person who bonds with the dragon is the only one who can properly coomunicate with them, but a Dragonlord is born with the ability to talk with any dragon they see. Also" She said and set a small fire to the table "We're able to produce flames that neither spread nor burn."

"Wha-?" Aang reluctantly put his hand over the flame. "Wow, it's cold." He said.

"Really?" Katara stretched out her hand and Suki, Toph and Sokka followed. They shared a look of surprise.

Asahi flicked her hand and the flame died out.

"These are the basic assets of one born as a Firelord." She finished her explanation.

"You said you're... the last one?" Aang, who had suffered the loneliness of being the last one of his tribe as well, looked at her, his kind eyes full of compassion.

"Yes." She nodded.

"What... happened?" Now it was Suki's turn to speak. Asahi glanced towards Zuko and Iroh and hesitated.

"Erm..."

"He had them killed." Zuko answered in her stead.

"What?" Everyone's heads turned to Zuko.

"My grandfather felt threatened by the excistance of a whole tribe of powerful Firebenders that could also command the dragons and so he had them slaughtered in their sleep one night. The remaining ones that had escaped the attack were hunted down by my fathers orders."

Everybody felll silent and Iroh looked as if he'd been slapped across the face.

"It is one of the darkest chapters of Fire Nation history." He said.

"How come you survived?" Toph asked after a while.

"My father, who was eventually killed, hid me and my powers from the moment of my birth. We used to live with the Sun Warriors, then, when I was old enough, started travelling so as not to endanger the tribe and when I was left to survive on my own, I continued this lifestyle. Too afraid to die I took no active part in the revolution, which I regret to this day."

She stopped and looked at Aang and Zuko.

"Word travels fast and after I heard that you had visited the Sun Warriors I returned to them. I stayed there until Ran and Shaw assigned me to see the Firelord."

"And now I'm supposed to raise a dragon." Zuko concluded "Why me? And how?"

Asahi pierced him with her eyes.

"As to why: the dragons were impressed by your development, but look in worry at you daily routine. They think you might need some life and responsibilities outside from being a Firelord."

"The Masters know of my daily routine?" Zuko asked, befuddled.

"Yes." Asahi smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And now we get to the how: Until the dragon has hatched and you have made a proper connection to him,m I will stay here, by your side."

She said it naturally, but nevertheless, Zuko and his companions blushed.

"Oh... is that so..." He mumbled.

Iroh took a sideway glance to his nephew and a small smile slipped over his mouth. It had been quite a while since he'd last seen him so fussed.

"Well, since that's settled, I'll go now." Toph exclaimed "My minion- I mean, my students are waiting for me!"

She got up and turned towards Asahi.

"Inform me when there's a due date for that." She said and pointed towards the egg that the woman had held carefully in her arms all the time.

"Due date...?" Asahi was smiling awkwardly.

"Everybody." Toph waved in leaving "See you soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Asahi took a deep breath. The cool morning air was flooding her lungs and she closed her eyes. It had been some exhausting past days. The journey to the Fire palace was a rather long one and the last two nights that she'd spent in her spacious palace bed hadn't been the most comfortable ones of her life, she had to admit. She was used to spending the nights close to the nature, in a tent, or huddled with her dragons. All the elaborate splendour of the palace made her itchy. She opened her eyes again and gazed at the small pond in which the faint morning sun was reflected. She had ordered Zuko to come to the inner gardens as soon as dawn was breaking and he still hadn't arrived. She had to admit that she liked teasing him. It was fun watching him struggle to keep his composure and it always reminded her of the nickname Ran and Shaw had given him: "The fiery prince". She had yet refrained from calling him that; she might have been wild, but her father, descendant of an old noble line of Fire Benders hat taught her well. But she had found that living with rogues and dragons had fit her better than the stiff appearances she had to keep at court; not that she was faring well with that. She could tell that Zuko's attendants looked at her with a certain disdain. She sighed. She heard his footsteps and looked up.

"You're late." She said, without greeting him properly. His eyebrows twitched and she could barely hold back a grin.

"I did not sleep well." Was his answer. "So, what did we come here for?" He asked impatiently.

He hadn't quite bothered to put himself in formal attire. Instead he was wearing what seemed to be his training clothes and he had let his hair down. She had to admit that she found him rather handsome like that.

"This." She held up the dragon's egg she'd braught along. The familiar throbbing and heat made her feel fussy. For her this egg was the same as her very own child. "We're going to let it hatch."

Zuko looked at her, taken aback.

"What do you mean, we're letting it hatch? Isn't it going to hatch by itself?" He asked. Asahi shook her head.

"A dragon's egg can be kept like this for hundreds of years." She explained "It hatches when you provide it with enough heat. Just like that." She put the egg carefully on the ground, took a few steps back and then released an enormous firestorm, aimed at the very egg she'd handled so carefully before.

Alarmed, Zuko tumbled backwards.

"What are you doing?!" He cried. "You'll destroy it!"

She raised an eyebrow at him, then ceased her fire.

"No. I won't. Me alone, I cannot do anything for it." She said "It needs two powerful flames."

"What...?" Zuko's expression shifted from worried to revolted.

"I think you understand full well." Asahi commented "You need to throw a flame at it, too. That's what I called you here for."

"You want me to burn it?" Zuko still had a look of doubt in his eyes.

"Yes, so to say. You think you can do it?" She asked.

"I do believe I can hold my own fire, yeah." He seemed annoyed by her doubt in his abilities. She took a silent onte of that.

"We'll have to work on this for consecutive hours, you know. Just saying."

She saw him swallow. Even for a Dragonlord, producing a steady flame over hours was a tricky task, but for a normal Firebender, even an outstanding one like Zuko, it would be hell. He gazed at the egg and she saw something change in his face.

"I'll do it." He said firmly. Asahi smiled. If he had the determination he could probably do it.

"Good. Well then, ready? Go!" At her command they both released a poewrful flame on the egg. Yet, after a few minutes, she already saw Zuko panting, exhaustion written all over his face. She withdrew her flame. When he noticed he put out his one as well.

"What?!" He asked, irritated.

"You'll never make it like that. Your flame is far to weak and sourced from the wrong place. Whatever has happened to you?" She crossed her arms.

"What do you mean?" He raised his voice, affronted.

"Ran and Shaw told me that your fire was beautiful, innately strong, when being drawn from the right source. That flame just now was the average Firebenders' flame. Not a dragon-taught one."

Zuko stared at her. She sighed. She figured he must have lost the beauty of fire to his daily routine of dealing with ever-arising problems. She approached him.

"Alright, I'll show you." She said and offered him her hands. He looked down on them sheepishly. "Well, give me your hands." She said.

"What?" He looked slightly flustered.

"Just do it." She said in a commanding tone. So he did and she closed her eyes. His hands were bigger than hers, and more coarse. She could easily tell that those were a man's hands.

"Now breathe with me." She ordered. They started breathing in unison. "Okay" she continued in a calm, chantig voice "Now remember the day you met the dragons. Remember their fire, the beauty it held; the life it represented. This very same fire is resting somewhere deep inside you. Search your soul; it's right there. Do you see it?" She looked up and saw that he'd closed his eyes as well.

"I... I think so." He answered.

"Good." She smiled and slipped behind him, grabbing his arms. "Take a deep breath and picture the flame you want to release. Feel it's scorching heat. Good. And now, release it!"

He did and out came an enormous firestorm. Zuko opened in eyes and stared in wonder while Asahi laughed aloud.

"That's perfect! Well done, Zuko!" She exclaimed and returned to her post, now releasing a flame herself.


	4. Chapter 4

They stood there, bending the fire with all their might for what seemed liek eternity. They had ther gazes locked with each other and Asahi could tell that Zuko was holding onto this with all he had. The sun rose and it was well past midday when, finally, Asahi could make out a cracking sound from the midst of the roaring fire. She could see the tremendous exhaustion in Zuko's face, but they couldn't possibly give up now.

"Keep going Zuko, don't give up!" She shouted above the fire "We're almost there!"

She could see him take a deep breath, his expression becoming even more determined. Then, suddenly the egg was bursting into a blinding light, followed by a powerful wave of air, whipping the both of them to the ground. It almost felt like an explosion. Although Ran and Shaw had shared their memories of a dragon's birth with her, the real thing just blew her mind. The light was hurting herr eyes but she couldn't avert her gaze from it. She could make out a shadow, a tiny, dragon-shaped shadow inside the light. Slowly, the world returned to the way it was before and revealed a jade green dragon, the size of a human arm. It looked so fragile that Asahi quickly got to her feet and rushed to its side. She crouched down beside it and extended her hand.

"Hello there, little one." She said in the kindest of voices. "And who are you?" The dragon sniffled her fingers, then, just like a cat, pressed its head against her palm. A feeling of eternal connection and love rushed through her body. Zuko appeared beside her, his eyes full of amazement.

"Is that... it?" He asked. Asahi smiled gently, picked up the dragon and slwoly draped it around Zuko's neck, almost like a scarf.

"'It' is a he." She said "And you should give him a name.

"M-me?" Zuko was frozen stiff while the dragon nestled himself comfortably against his skin. Then he suddenly sneezed, releasing a tiny flame, setting Zuko's collar on fire.

"Wah!" He jolted in surprise but Asahi quickly extinguished the flame. She had put her hand atop his collar and was standing so close to him that she could feel his breath on her hair. She glanced at his blushed face then, suddenly embarassed, shifted her gaze to the ground.

"So?" She asked and slowly took a step back. "What shall we call him?"

Zuko blinked. "Oh, yeah, the name... I think Pyro should be a good fit, don't you?" He looked down on his scorched collar. Asahi chuckled.

"It's a perfect fit!" She announced.

...

Later in the palace everyones stares accompanied the three of them. Pyro was sleeping peacefully around Zuko's neck but he was still the attraction of the day. The evening was nearing and Zuko was extremely worn-out. The bending had taken more energy than he'd liked to admit. He could feel Asahis gaze upon him; somehow, that made him feel uncomfortable.

"What?" He asked her.

"You look tired." She commented. She was always so blunt. She hadn't even bothered with honorifics from the point they'd met and now all the more she used a rather simple way to talk to him. "I think you should call it an early night."

Zuko sighed. If only he could. But he had already wasted the entire day with her. Well, maybe wasted was not the right expression. Spent; he had spent the entire day with her but it was a fact that he was still the reigning Firelord. He had various other duties to fullfill. He had to admit though, that raising Pyro with Asahi had the potential to turn into the most enjoyable of all.

They were on their way to Asahis sleeping quarters. She'd told him that she'd brought along food for Pyro that Ran and Shaw had provided her with. It turned out to be stripes of dried meat. She gently took Pyro from his shoulders, lying him down on her bed. The dragon woke up reluctantly, blinking various times before completely opening his eyes. He looked adorable, even Zuko thought that. Asahi, who seemed to be some sort of overly protective mother figure squealed lightly. He rolled his eyes. Yes,the dragon was adorable, yes even he himself held some fatherly feelings for Pyro but she was a bit over the top. The cool, mysterious aura that usually surrounded her was replaced by a fluffy, pink-ish feeling that somehow still suited her very well. Her eyes were shining and her face soft. Zuko caught himself smiling gently at her and deliberately squinted his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows. Asahi hadn't noticed, though; she was too occupied with feeding the dragon.

"He's so beautiful." Asahi muttered in a low voice. She was right; the dragon's tiny, emerald scales were glittering in the light of the torches that hung upon the wall. Although he was small, he looked noble and otherworldly. Zuko could feel his thoughts clouding, his eyes not shifting from the green lights. His eyelids fell down and all that surrounded him was utter darkness.

...

Asahi studied Zuko's face. His wild hear spread out on her pillow and his chest was rising and sinking calmly. When she'd heard him collapse behind her she'd twirled around in emergency just to see him sinking to the ground in exhaustion. She'd heaved him into her bed, which just happened to be the closest one and covered him with her sheets. After his dinner, Pyro had curled up on Zuko's stomach and was now sleeping just as soundly as his master. She looked at the two of them in affection but stopped, when she saw that her left hand was lingering over Zuko's forehead. She quickly drew it back, glad to hace caught it before she'd touched him. What was she thinking?! She stepped into the adjoining corridor and quickly found a footman whom she told that the Firelord was resting and no longer available for the day. The footman stared at her wide-eyed but did not dare defy her, as her tone was of a commanding nature.

Reentering her room, she slipped onto the other side of the bed. As she never wore shoes, she could go to sleep just like that. She didn't use the blanket that covered Zuko, since that would suggest too much intimacy. She honestly had no ulterior motive, but she failed to see why she would have to sleep on the floor when there was a big enough bed available. So she curled up beside Zuko and slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, Chapgirl here! Thanks for reading this far! Just reviewed some scenes from Avatar and crackin' up from fangirling! Oh god, I just love Zuko! He's the most adorable villain in TV history 3 Please comment!_

Zuko woke up feeling extremely refreshed. He hadn't slept through a night so tightly ever since he'd ascended to the throne. It wasn't as bad as during the time he searched for his mother, but still...

He turned over and was instantly awake. He was looking into Asahis sleeping face. He shot up and more or less fell out of the bed. He was checking himself, then her. Phew, they were both dressed.

His clattering woke Asahi who looked at hi with sleepy eyes.

"Ah, Zuko, g'morning." She mumbled and rubbed her eyes in the cutest way. She yawned, sat up and smiled as she discovered Pyro curled to her feet.

"Good morning?!" He exclaimed in a panicked voice. "More like: what are you doing in my bed?" He pointed at her, his voice an octave higher.

"You know it's rude to point at people, right?" She asked calmly and crawled out of the bed. She stretched, then added:

"And anyway, it was you who was sleeping in my bed."

Zuko looked around. Indeed, this was her room; he could feel his face turning bright red.

"What in the world happened yesterday?!" He threw his arms in the air in exasperation.

...

Asahi chuckled. This was the first time that she saw Zuko, who had been burdened so early in his life, act like the teenager he actually was. She knew what a heavy burden could inflict on young shoulders by her own experience.

"Nothing happened." She answered grinning, suddenly feeling like her true, young age herself. "You fainted from exhaustion and I put you in bed." She esplained.

"Why did you sleep in the same bed?" He stared at her.

"What, you're telling me to sleep on the floor the next time you faint in my bedroom?" She asked nonchalantly.

"No, I'm..." He didn't seem to have an answer for that. "Anyway, I'm leaving now. Pyro." He extended his arm and the small dragon glided over to him, having watched his guardians' quarreling through curious eyes. "I'm at my counseling room, if you need anything." He said when he had reached the room.

Asahi, still grinning, said:

"Ok. Zuko"

He halted and turned around to look at her enquiringly.

"Today is off but we'll meet tomorrow at dawn in the garden." She simply said.

"What? Again?" He sounded dipleased.

"What? You thought hatching him was the end? It's the beginning, my friend." She said and winked.

"Who're you calling your friend?" He mumbled under his breath as he turned around and stomped away angrily, leaving an incredibly amused Asahi behind.

Asahi used the day off to sort out her stuff. She finally unpacked what little luggage she'd brought along and decided to take a tour around the palace. She had lunch in the great hall, where she met Suki. She had liked the kind, attentive girl from the beginning and they had a pleasant conversation over shrimp soup. Suki had recounted the story of how she'd met the Gaang and Asahi had listened in delight. Later she went to take a bath in one of the luscious giant bathrooms. Everything was crafted beautifully out of marble. Asahi sighed as the heavenly hot water washed over her worn-out body. She was studying the red dragon-shaped birthmark that was situated on her right thigh. It was proof of her ancestors. Every Dragonlord was born with such a mark somewhere on his body. She'd been lucky enough that it hadn't been a more prominent spot like her hand or her face.

In the evening she strode through the palace gardens. She enjoyed the natury feel there, even though she could still make out all the hustling that went on inside the palace walls. She turned a corner an bumped into a person, stumbled and fell straight onto her backside.

"Ouch." She said, rubbing her bum as she got up.

"Oh my, I'm sorry, are you okay?" Zuko's uncle General Iroh offered her a hand. She took it and smiled at him. The man had a very soothing presence.

"Well, well." He said "Who do we have here? A Dragonlord wandering through the palace?" He winked at her.

"Please call me Asahi, General." She said. She sort of disliked her official title, though she was proud of who she was.

"If you call me Iroh." He said with a glint in his eyes. "Would you care for some late-night tea?" He asked. Asahi agreed and a few minutes later she sat down at a comfortable tea table in Iroh's quarters.

"I didn't know you stayed at the palace Gen- Iroh." She corrected herself.

"I do, but as you can see I have my own little part of it." He gestured around. His quarters were situated in a remote annexe that was surrounded by a huge herb garden. She assumed he grew his own tea leaves out here.

"It's beautiful." She commented and earned his appreciative smile. They both took a sip of the tea he'd served. It was bitter yet delicious.

"I saw Pyro today. He is easily the most awe-inspiring creature I ever beheld." Asahi listened for any sort of mock in Iroh's voice but discovered none.

"He's... to me Pyro is the very impersonation of life itself." She answered, a bit embarassed by her comment.

"Dragons are indeed emitting a feeling of being the source of life, don't they." He retorted.

She studied him, smiling.

"Hm?" He looked at her enquiringly.

"I just thought that you're exactly like Ran and Shaw described you." She explained. He smiled pleasantly.

"How are the masters?" Iroh asked.

They continued chatting until late in the evening.


	6. Chapter 6

When Zuko arrived in the gardens just as dawn was breaking, Asahi was already there.

"Just when do you get up?" He asked her incredulously.

"Good morning to you, too." Asahi answered simply.

"So, what am I supposed to do now?" Zuko shifted his weight from one foot to another, impatient to begin, or rather, to get this over with. He did enjoy his time with Pyro, but he had so many other things to do. Asahi gestured at a decorative rock that was sitting bedside a small pond.

"Take a seat." She said.

Zuko frowned, but did as she said. The rock was, obviously, hard, but he found a bearable seating position.

"And?" He looked up at her, lingering over him. She was standing and thus much taller than her. He disliked the feeling; it irritated him to be in such a weak position.

"Now you meditate." She answered.

"I what?" He looked at Asahi sheepishly. He had expected hard laborous training, but not meditation.

"You shall meditate. Close your eyes, empty your mind and then fill your heart with a positive feeling." She looked at him expectantly.

"you know that you sound just like Aang like that?" He commented, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He really wasn't the happy go lucky type. "And anyway, how is meditating supposed to help me in raising Pyro?" The little dragon had taken up his usual spot around Zuko's neck.

"You and your dragon are connected through your souls. Growing up beside you, he will absorb all of your feelings. If you don't want him to turn into a cranky, moody 'the-whole-world-hates-me' kind of creature later, you'll have to start your days with a more upbeat attitude." She explained in a matter-of-factly voice. He looked at her, offended. He was not so stupid as to not take the hint.

"I get by." He commented crankily.

"Yes. But you won't turn into a giant, fire-spitting creatures with teeth and fangs as long as human extremities." She cocked her head.

"Tch." Zuko averted his gaze. He didn't want to admit that she was right. she kept staring at him, making him feel uneasy. "I'll meditate, alright!" He exclaimed "You can go now."

"I'm not going anywhere. While you meditate, I'll practice my Dragon Dances."

"Your what?" Even he'd never heard of that before.

"My ancient dragon Firedbending forms." She rolled her eye. "Now meditate!"

Reluctantly, Zuko closed his eyes.

"How long will I have to do it?" He asked, eyes still close.

"Until I tell you to stop. Now hush!" She could easily be a drill seargent, Zuko thought.

He tried to calm his mind, breathing deeply, but he felt his mind wandering to the duties he'd have to fullfill today. Also, he winced at every weird noise, every cracking branch, always suspecting an assassin to come after him. Asahi had forbidden anybody else to take part of their study sessions, so Suki wasn't anywhere near the two of them. Zuko felt edgier the more time he spent on that stupid rock. Suddenly, he couldn't even hear Asahis steps anymore and, unnerved, he jumped up, roaring.

"To hell with this!" He shouted and startled when Asahi was standing right in front of him. Her face was filled with disapproval and her voice sharp when she closed the distance between them.

"How could you!" She hissed. Zuko was indeed a bit intimidated, but didn't dare back down. He had a feeling he'd have to stand his ground right now.

"Me? You leave me sitting here, with this vague explanation, and your weird expressions, without any protection whatsoever!" He exclaimed.

"You don't need any bodyguards!" Asahi was building up in front of him which was rather impressive considering she was almost a whole head shorter than him.

"I do!" He retorted "I know you don't recognise, or don't approve or whatever, but I am the damn Firelord! People aim for my freaking life!" His voice filled the entire inner garden now. But Asahi didn't wince or back off. On the contrary; she actually bared her teeth at him.

"Well, sorry for not appreciating the fact that you're the son of the man who had my own father killed!" Her eyes were slits and seemed to be shooting lightning at him. Then her gaze shifted to Pyro. Zuko suddenly realised that the small creature was shivering badly. Asahis eyes widened in shock. When she glanced at Zuko again, they were cold as ice.

"I'm leaving." She announced, turned on her heals and stormed off.

Zuko, taken aback by her comment and Pyro's reaction to their fight, slumped back on his rock.

...

Asahi was furious. How could he! The stupid, hotheaded, idiotic...! She went through all the known curses in her head, tossing her stuff into her bag. Then, suddenly, the air seemed to leaver her, and she sat down on her bed, hugging her small leather pouch. She couldn't possibly leave. How could she think of leaving Pyro behind with that clueless, fiery prince?

She laid back on her bed and covered her stinging eyes with her arm. Mentioning her fathers murder had been below the belt. She was angry at Zuko for not trusting her enough, but how could she have thrown that into his face?

"You're not actually thinking of leaving... are you?"

She jolted up. Zuko was standing in the door frame, looking a lot smaller and younger than he had during their argument. He looked almost... vulnerable. Pyro was safely wrapped around his neck, looking calm again. She could feel tears filling her eyes and rubbed over her face. She pouted at him, furrowing her eyebrows so as to stop herself from crying.

"I'm sorry for not following your instructions." Zuko said in a calm, reasonable voice.

"Don't." She said, her voice unusually low. "It's my fault."

He looked at her, bewildered.

"I had expected you to trust me enough to believe that you were safe with me. But I often forget that we've only known each other for a few days. Through Ran and Shaw I've known you for months." She explained.

Zuko fell silent. Then, after a while, he said:

"I'm sorry for what happened to you father."

Asahi let out a pained laugh.

"How dare you apologise for that."

She had seen the hurt in his face when she'd accused him of his father's crime. She walked towards him, gently cupping his face in her hand, just like her father used to do whenever she'd felt down.

"You're in no way responsible for you fathers actions and it was horrible for me to bring that up. I was angry and upset and lashed out on you in a completely inappropriate manner." While apologising like that she lokecd her eyes with his and only realised after a few moment, that Zuko had blushed. Suddenly embarassed, she backed away from him again. "I'm sorry for asking unreasonable things from you." She finished.

Zuko seemed to process something, the come to a conclusion, because, when he finally talked, he seemed quite set on the matter.

"Come to my room tonight." He said. Asahi could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Zuko, I-" She started, but he interrupted you.

"I want you to tell me of you past." He explained "You said I have to learn to trust you, right? Well, then I will have to get to know you better."

That made sense and so Asahi agreed. Like that, they resolved their anger and parted ways in a pleasant manner. Asahi was insanely relieved. She could get angry properly, but she was actually horrible at fighting. She preferred a peaceful and uneventful life above all.


	7. Chapter 7

At night Asahi went to Zuko's quarters. She had asked one of the butlers at dinner and he had described the way, albeit flushing furiously. Well, she though, it must look like she was visiting him to spend the night with him...

She arrived at the described room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Zuko's voice was steady and clear. Hesitantly, she popped her head through the entrance.

"Hey." She said and went in when she saw that she had indeed found Zuko's sleeping chamber.

"Good evening." He was awfully polite. "Sit." He gwstured towards a very inviting seating area on the ground that was filled with generous cushions. She sat down; it was heavenly, as if lying down in a soft, fluffy cloud. Once she'd positioned herself the best way, Pyro flew over to her, his small wings flapping relentlessly. He'd grown a lot already, and when she touched him, a child's voice echoed in her head.

"Asa-mama." It said. Asahi strumbled backwards, then stared at Pyro. The dragon had talked to her the first time since he was born. "P-pyro...?"

He rubbed his emerald head against her cheek. "You can hear me." He said cheerfully.

"Yes, I can." Asahi answered found Zuko staring at her. "I... I hear Pyro's voice." She explained.

"His voice? He can speak?" He looked at his dragon in amazement.

"Well, it's more like a mental connection. You can hear his words right in your head. You should eventually hear him, too."

"Zu-papa cannot hear me." Pyro announced in a sulking tone. The nickname made Asahi chuckle.

"What? What is it?" Zuko, who couldn't follow their conversation seemed restless.

"He calls you 'Zu-papa'." Asahi translated. "And me Asa-mama. I assume he thinks of us as his parents."

"Oh." Zuko blushed slightly. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." They shared an awkward silence, Zuko standing in front of Asahi, when she finally said: "Won't you sit down as well?"

So he did and Pyro took back his usual spot on Zuko's shoulders.

"So, what exactly do you want to know?" Asahi asked, since she wasn't sure where to start.

"I don't know..." He answered. "Just start at the beginning." He shrugged.

"Wow, that's helpful." Irony swayed with her voice. "Well, maybe I'll just begin with my parents' first meeting..."

...

"My father, as a descendant of the Dragonlords, was a young noble. He did try to conceal his ancestry for obvious reasons, but he was still heir to a huge fortune. You see, even though most of his family were killed, they could hide their treasures for those who'd survived... Anyway, it was one hot summmer night that my father attended another noble's party. He was young, rich and handsome and rather popular with the girls. You could say he liked to mess around a lot. Everybody knew, but all the girls were all over him still. At that party, though, everything changed for him. The noble's cousin, a young woman of unseen beauty, was presenting a song for her cousin's sake. You see, her voice was known all over the country, it was so distinctive and captivating. My father fell in love at once."

Asahi smiled. Her voice was soothing, and Zuko sank a little deeper into the cushions. He felt warm and comfortable.

"In the weeks to come he tried everything to win over the singer's heart, even proposing various times, but she didn't budge. She was indignant by all the stories she'd heard of him and she didn't like his haugty ways. Of course, my father only acted that haughty in her presence since he was so insecure of himself. For all that time, he never glanced at another girl again. The singer's heart started softening and she began to look at her constant companion with more affection than she wanted to admit."

Asahi's face was glowing with joy. She seemed to enjoy telling that story; Zuko, in turn, enjoyed watching her facial expressions change randomly.

"One day, when my father had followed after her yet again, they saw an old man crossing a street. A wagon was nearing at full speed and the man would have been overrun, if not for my father's actions. He jumped onto the street, shoved the old man out of the way but was thus run over by the wagon. Lucky for him, he had only gotten some broken ribs and scratches and when he woke in the hospital, my mother was holding his hands tightly, crying for him to open his eyes. When she realised he was rather well, she tossed her arms around him repeating a single word over and over again: Yes. It was an answer to his proposal."

She smiled dreamily and Zuko let her soft voice lull him even deeper into the cushions. He closed his eyes, still listening.

"So... my mother was overwhelmed by his ability to risk his life for a total stranger and realised at that moment that she truly loved him. She... see... dragons."

He could only make out bits and pieces of her story, as a heavy sleep took him into the land of dreams. He dreamed of Dragons and parties and a beautiful, red haired woman, singing a captivating tune.

...

"...and so they got married." Asahi concluded her story, then looked at Zuko. She almost fell over in surprise. The guy really had fallen asleep on her. And when he had asked her to recount her story. Geez. She sighed, not knowing what to do now. She didn't dare wake him, since he looked so peacefull in his sleep, so young and innocent. Before she knew, she'd reached out to his face, tracing his scar lightly with her fingers. When she realised what she was doing, she drew back her hand immediately. She got up and gazed at his face. She would have to give him a mouthful when she'd meet him next. She left the room and went back to her own quarters to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

"You have a nick for falling asleep in my presence." Asahi greeted Zuko on their training grounds the next morning.

Embarassed, he rubbed his head.

"I've got an awfully full schedule. It's exhausting." He answered. When he'd woken in the middle of the night, he'd realised he was still lying in the seating cushions and Asahi was long gone. He couldn't believe himself for falling asleep in her presence like that.

"Well, whatever." Asahi rolled her eyes, but her voice was friendly. "Go and meditate." She pointed at the rock that he had used the day before.

"Uh... are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked her hesitantly.

"Of course I am. You trust me now, don't you?" She looked at him with sincere eyes.

"Er... well..." He was at a loss of words.

"You said so yourself, that spending more time with me, getting to know me would make you trust me." She stated, arms crossed.

"I did... but..." He shrugged.

"For heaven's sake, Zuko, you fell asleep while I was with you!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "How is that not a sign of trust?" She stared at him. She was right, he figured, he seemed to feel unusually safe in her presence.

"Oh, well, I'll give it a try." He said and sat down to meditate. This time, it actually started working. He could feel his heartbeat calm down, and his mind freeing itself from all that was still to come. He listened to Asahis steady footsteps, her training by herself again. He let himself fall, calm down and tried to recount the happiness he'd felt when he'd travelled with the Gaang. He felt a smile slip across his face.

...

Asahi had stopped moving. She was studying Zuko, trying to make out whether he was really meditating or just sleeping again. Just when she was about to touch him to see if he was still awake, his face spread into a wide smile, one she hadn't seem on him before. She stared in wonder, for she felt the sight was so unusual, and admittedly beautiful, that her heart warmed up. It made her wonder how he could have ended up in the devastated state that she'd met him in.

The sun was just streaming across the yard, making Zuko's face glow in orange light and suddenly Asahi could feel her heartbeat accelerate. She'd never felt anything like this before, but she realised it was a dangerous feeling. She could not let any feelings undermine her mission. She cleared her throat to bring him back.

"You can stop now." She said shortly.

He opened his eyes and stared at her as if through a haze.

"I... I think I did it..." He said.

Asahi couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, I think so, too." She said warmly.

...

Asahi's hair was hit by the soft morning light and it looked like a soft flame was framing her face. Right that moment was looking at him with the same expression she used to grant only Pyro. Zuko was still in awe from what he'd experienced just now but that didn't stop him from admiring the beauty that was standing in front of him. He closed his eyes and shook his head, to clear his thoughts.

"So... does that mean the lesson's over?" He asked, almost reluctant to leave this place and return to his Firelord duties.

"Um... yeah, I guess..." Asahi shrugged.

"Alright." He got up. "Well, um..." He started, blushing slightly. For heaven's sake, what was up with him? "Will you... come by later?" He asked awkwardly and saw her face reddening as well.

"Uh... yes, I will..." She said.

"Good..." He just stood around. "Well, then... see you later." He said and trotted off in a daze. He had no idea whatever had just happened, and for the rest of the day he was too busy to think about it again.

...

After exploring the Palace again for the rest of the day (she was starting to find her way around pretty well) and continuing some solo training, Asahi went off to Zuko's place in the evening. When she arrived at his room, it was empty.

"Wha-" She looked around for him, but without success. "Hm." She didn't know what to do, and so she just popped down in the cushions. After a while, she could make out hurried footsteps from the corridor. Zuko flew into the room, all flustered.

"I'm so sorry, I'm late!" He apologised immediately "The meeting was going longer than I expected and we also had to-"

"Zuko, stop." Asahi intervened before he could apologise even more. "It's all okay. I'm very comfortable." She said and patted one of the cushions.

"Oh. Okay." He said sheepishly, put away his official robes and sat down beside her. He sat stiff as a branch, so Asahi said:

"Relax. Your working day's over."

He looked at her, then seemed to realise that she was right, and sank down.

"Geez, who would've thought that being the Firelord can be such a pain." He sighed and looked awfully tired.

"Why don't we continue with the story? What do you remember?" She asked.

"Um..." He rubbed his chin. "Your mom saying yes in the hospital."

"Oh, ok." Asahi grinned. He'd fallen asleep earlier than she'd expected. "Well, here I go." She announced.

...

"So my mother and father were then engaged, happily. Yet, after a while, he decided that he couldn't possibly hide his secret identity from him anymore. He swore her to secrecy and the led her to the Sun Warrior Tribe. There, she met the masters for the first time. Just as astounded as you had been, she knew she'd never give them away. They were wed in secrecy by the Sun Chief just before they had their official wedding were all of my mother's family members attended."

"How nice." Zuko sighed. He wished his parents would have actually loved each other. On the other hand that would have meant that his father would have been a decent human being.

"They abandoned the Fire Nation to live with the Sun Warriors. Our kind has always been admired by them, since they worshipped the dragons for hundreds of years. Whenever a Dragonlord would live with them, they were granted the title Prince or Princess. Hence" She winked at him "my introduction as Princess of the Sun Warriors."

"I see." Zuko shifted his body a little. He was once again feeling sleepy. But he swore that this night, he wouldn't just fall asleep.

"Soon afterwards, I was born. My mother... she died during my birth..." An enormous sadness swayed in Asahis voice and Zuko reached towards her, only to let his hand linger in the air between them.

"I am so sorry." He couldn't find any other, meaningful words. But Asahi just shook her head and he dropped his hand again.

"Well, I never got to know her, but my father used to tell me wonderful stories about her." She smiled sadly. Pyro seemed to have sensed her sadness and flew over to her. When he touched her, she gave him a warm smile.

"No, no mama for Asa-mama." She answered the dragon. "I'm fine, I had my dad. I have Ran and Shaw. And now I have you." She then blinked, glanced to Zuko and back to Pyro. "Yes, and Zuko." She said and blushed.

Even though Zuko didn't know what they were talking about, he felt embarassed. Pyro came back and Asahi continued with her story.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning they continued their routine, Zuko meditating and Asahi training her Forms.

He was calming down a little bit easier that day and she let him stay in the meditation state a little while longer. When she finally released him, she was drenched in sweat as she'd worked extra hard to take her mind off his face. She still wondered where the boy she'd seen the day before had disappeared to.

"So, will you continue your story tonight?" He asked puppy-eyed. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you better just stay in bed while I'm talking, huh?" She asked. He _had _fallen asleep again the night before. But she'd die before she'd admit just how adorable she found that trait of his. She could see his ears reddening and himself holding back from lashing out at her sarcastic comment.

"I wont fall asleep tonight!" Zuko cried.

"Thats what you said last night." She turned away from him, arms crossed, because she couldn't stop the grin that was spreading over her face.

"That was because...!" He seemed at a loss of words. She relaxed her face, then turned towards him again.

"Because what?" She asked, rather curious what kind of reason he'd give her. "Is my story that boring?"

"No! Not at all!" He was quick to answer her. "I enjoy it a lot!"

"Then what? I know you're exhausted and all, but three nights of proper sleep should've taken care of that." She shrugged. She could feel the corners of her mouth twitch again when she looked at his exasperated expression. He blushed deeply, then mumbled:

"'Cause 'mnt vn bdrims amre..." He averted his gaze.

"...what?" Asahi said. Actually, she'd understood what he'd said, but just for the sake of it...

"Oh, forget it!" Zuko threw his hands in the air and stormed off, just to turn around after a few steps and say: "See you tonight!"

That last comment felt like a command indeed, but instead of feeling annoyed, it left Asahi smiling. Then she thought of what he'd said and felt solemn, all of a sudden.

... "Because I'm not having bad dreams anymore." ...

...

Zuko was pacing through his room. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. But then again, on the other hand, he couldn't believe what he'd told her either. Well, not that she'd understood what he'd said. Annoyed with himself, he sat down, only to jolt up again when he heard the familiar knocking.

"Come in." He answered and straightened his robes. Then he messed them up again; seriously?! He heard Pyro make a noise that sounded an awful lot like laughter. The little dragon had already become a notable amount heavier. Asahi entered, and today Zuko thaught he could discover a hint of tiredness in her face. She studied him and let her eyes rest at her feet.

"You're not wearing shoes." It wasn't really a question.

"It's more comfortable." He grumbled. Pyro giggled again. "Shut up!" He said to him.

"What?" Asahi looked up, irritated.

"Not you. Him." He pointed at the dragon. Asahi's eyes widened in wonder.

"You can hear him?" She asked eagerly. Zuko was taken aback by her entusiasm, and shook his head.

"No, not really. But he just laughed. At me. It annoyed me." He explained.

"Oh, I see." Asahi answered. "Well, don't worry, you'll hear his voice soon enough." She looked at him with compassionate eyes, and that irritated him. It didn't actually bother him that he couldn't hear Pyro's voice. He felt an even deeper connection to the dragon than he could have imagined and felt kind of lonely, everytime Pyro left his familiar place around his neck.

Asahi went to the cushion corner, and Zuko cleared his throat. She looked up.

"Hm?"

"Well, um... it's just that I'm..." He pointed to his bed, feeling bashful. A mischievous grin spread across Asahi's face as Zuko laid down in his bed. She climbed atop the other side of the bed, leaning back against the wall, still mustering him with an amused expression.

"Oh, shut up." He grumbled and turned away from her.

...

Asahi was astonished. Zuko actually chose to listen to her story in bed. Did he really turn the story of her life into his bedtime story? She couldn't help but grin. She was telling a bedtime story to the Firelord. She wondered what his people would say if they could see him. She wondered what Iroh would say. She had had another very enjoyable cup of tea with the old general that day.

"Good, let's continue." She simply said, when he din't turn to face her again. She figured he was a little embarassed.

"So my father and I had travelled various villages, always hiding the fact that we were both Dragonlords. Since I had grown up with Ran and Shaw I'd figured that it was normal but I had to learn very soon that it wasn't. Being a Dragonlord makes up a huge part of my identity, but I had to hide it for years." She sighed. "My father trained me in the art of the ancient Firebending, all the traditional forms and movements. I loved it. The time spent with my father was more precious to me than anything. But, unknown to us, there was someone looking for my father. It was my mother's cousin, the one at whose party the two of them had met. He was secretly in love with my mother and, after finding out that my parents were getting married, had done everything in his power to find a way to destroy my father. His efforts were in vain, for years, but one day he dug up the old legend of the Dragonlords and made the connection all the way to my father. When I was twelve, he tracked us down with the Firelord's forces, and had my father killed." Her voice trailed off. Remembering that day still made her feel hollow.

...

Zuko wanted to turn around, comfort her in any way possible, but remained still. He already knew that she was a proud creature and was unsure of how she'd react if he were to do as he felt like. She had fallen silent for a while already and Zuko was about to face her, when she continued in a low voice.

"He made me hide away... He knew what would happen and made me run away into the mountains..."

Her voice was so broken, so weak, that Zuko couldn't help but turn around. What he saw alarmed him. Asahi had pulled her legs close and was hugging her knees, a single tear streaming down her face. Eyes wide open, he jolted up. She must have noticed him from the corner of her eye, since she raised her hand and shook her head.

"Stop." She said and smiled at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "It's no big deal, really." She wiped her face and the smile she granted him felt like the first rays of sun after a heavy rain.


	10. Chapter 10

Zuko had made Asahi stop afterwards, not wanting to burden her any longer. She went to her own room and once again he laid awake for half a night. Her soothing voice had made him fall into a deep slumber those other days, but that night, it just left him feeling empty. Not only had she lost her mother at birth, but her father had been murdered by his father's forces. There wasn't anything he could tell her that would cheer her up. He figured to just leave it be.

...

Asahi was just as awake in her own room. Not because of her memories, but because of the haunted look that Zuko had granted her. She should have known that burdening him with that part of her story would be too much. She sighed and turned around again. Slowly, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

In the morning she had come to a decision. When she arrived at the gardens, Zuko was already there. He looked at her as if she would break at the tiniest trouble. She sighed.

"Morning, Zuko." She said.

"...Good morning..." His voice was insecure.

"Oh, good spirits, Firelord!" She exclaimed "If you keep looking at me that way, I'll have to rip your face off!" She gnarled at him. He blinked at her. "What?!"

"That's the first time you've called me Firelord in a while." He said, a blank expression on his face.

"Well, yeah, got a problem with that?" Embarrassed, she shot back at him.

"No..." At least now he'd fixed that compassionate expression on his face.

After a few seconds of silence, Zuko took his usual seat.

...

At the end of practice, Asahi was smiling naturally again and Zuko felt extremely relieved.

"So..." She started talking "I was wondering if we could invite your friends again."

"My... friends?" He was confused.

"Um... the Avatar and his Gaang?" She looked at him inquiringly.

"Oh, yeah, I guess they're my friends..." He never actually put into words what they were to him.

"So?"

"Hm?"

"Do. You. Think. We. Could. Invite. Them?" She pronounced every single word as if he were too stupid to understand. He could feel the irritation creeping up his spine again. Spitting out the words, he answered:

"What do you need them for?"

"Oh, nothing much really, just a chat." She said nonchalantly but he could make out a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Alright..." He didn't press the matter but after returning to his duties assigned Suki to invite them all to tea for the next day.

...

Asahi sat down for tea after having greeted the group cheerfully upon their arrival. They had admired Pyro over and over and Asahi thought she could see the little Dragon double in size. She would have to make sure the attention wouldn't go to his head.

"Then your training is going well?" Katara asked Zuko.

"It's all right." He answered. Asahi was surprised by his honesty.

"Now, I'm sure you didn't gather us all just to have a little chit-chat, did you?" Sokka looked at Asahi enquiringly.

"Actually..." She glanced over to Zuko. "Why don't you go attend your Firelord duties?" She asked, grinning. He shot her a blank look.

"...what?"

"I'm saying: go and do your Firelord thing!" She ordered.

"Are you kidding?" He stared at her, not comprehending what was going on.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Go discuss about urgent Firenation matters, we'll be fine without you."

The Gaang watched their little squabble with amusement.

"Seriously?!" He got up and looked at the others who just shrugged, then stormed off, mumbling "I can't believe this woman! Who does she think she is?!"

Asahi's mouth twitched.

"Wow, you're one mean girl!" Toph commented. Asahi turned towards her, feeling a little guilty.

"I'm... Sorry?"

"I love it!" Toph announced.

"So, what's this all about?" Katara asked.

"Well, you see..." It was hard to explain what she wanted. "I've noticed Zuko has some... struggles with being Firelord." She looked around into solemn faces. "But, you knew..." She concluded from their looks.

"We... had a hunch." Aang said.

"I want him to recover his purpose... the reason why he does what he does." Asahi looked at her intertwined hands.

"Asahi... Why do you care about this so much?" Suki gave her a suspicious look. "You're not... in love with Zuko, are you?"

Everyone stared at her and she blushed furiously.

"No, no way!" She answered quickly "It's because of Pyro."

"Pyro?" Katara looked astonished. "What does Pyro have to do with that?"

"Well, everything." She began explaining "You see, Dragons are very self-sufficient creatures. They see themselves as part of the greater good and thus feel no need to justify any of their actions. A Dragon will never feel guilty about anything it does."

The others remained silent, listening closely.

"Raised by one another, they only take what they need and stay in harmony with nature. But if a Dragon is raised by a human, he is affected by a trait that is unique to mankind only: emotions. If Pyro were to grow up surrounded by Zuko's doubt in himself, his constant criticism at his own actions and his regret of his past actions, I can only imagine what he would turn out to be." She concluded.

"Then, what is your plan?" Sokka asked after a short silence.

"For now? Make him remember the time when he was truly happy and balanced: when he was traveling with you."

"How do you know all this?" Aang asked, awe-struck "You've barely known Zuko for a week."

"Ran and Shaw enlightened me." She granted him a small smile. "Dragons are amazing creatures, you see."

"Then you want us all to leave our everyday life behind to travel together with Zuko through the Fire Nation?" Tophs voice was clouded in disbelief. Asahi squinted.

"I know it's a huge request and I understand if you'll deny-"

"That's awesome!" Toph exclaimed and sprang to her feet "Let's ditch those duties!"


	11. Chapter 11

"So... should we talk to Zuko?" Aang asked when they were finished with their tea.

"No... It's my idea, so I'll deal with his reactions myself." She sighed, then grinned "Actually, I get kind of a kick provoking him." She winked at them.

"I like this girl!" Toph said "Pity you didn't join us any sooner."

"I know what you mean." Sokka said to Asahi "Making Zuko angry is so easy it's already funny. I once did this thing with my staff-"

"Alright, Sokka, we gotta leave, make some preparations." Katara dragged her brother by the neck.

"Katara! I'm not a little kid anymore!" He complained. "I'm eighteen years old."

"And you're a great man." Suki added, giving him a peck on the cheek. "But at times a great man has to listen to his little sister."

"Even you, Suki?" He pouted at his girlfriend.

"Man, such a long-distance relationship must suck." Aang commented, wrapping his arm around Katara and Asahi saw Toph grinning. She sure was one mischievous Earthbending master.

"I know what you mean." Katara agreed, resting her head against Aangs shoulder.

"Sure, go ahead and rub some more dirt into the wound. Go ahead." Sokka said sarcastically.

"Well, If Asahi's plan checks out, we'll have a lot of private time at our disposal." Suki said cheerfully.

They parted ways.

Later that day, Asahi headed to Zuko's chambers. She had already informed Iroh of her plans who had been delighted and agreed to take on Zuko's duties for as long as they travelled. With that settled, all that was left was for Zuko to get convinced he needed this, too.

She knocked on his door, entered and wasn't too surprised to see him cranky and glaring at her.

"So?" He asked in a mocking tone "Did you finish your important business with the Avatar and his friends."

"No need to be so upset." Asahi answered, closed the door and stepped towards him. "I had to talk to them alone."

"Why not tell me beforehand, then?" His voice was sharp. Asahi shrugged.

"I like teasing you." She admitted with a lopsided grin.

"Hmph." Zuko made and turned away.

"Zu-papa is really mad, you know. It's a powerful feeling." Pyro's voice was filled with reverie.

"No! No Pyro, it's not! Anger is a horrible, destructive feeling and you should not connect with it!"

Pyro hunched when she raised her voice to a shout and even Zuko turned to face her again.

"Whow, what's up?"

"Because I made you angry, Pyro thinks that you're strong when you're mad." She pressed through her teeth.

"What?" He stared at Pyro. "No, I'm not stronger because I'm mad. Listen to Asahi, anger's not a good thing!"

"Then why are you angry?" Pyro asked, wide-eyed. Of course, Zuko couldn't hear him, so Asahi translated.

"He asked why you're angry."

Zuko looked at her, then at Pyro, obviously searching for the right words to say.

"Sometimes... humans feel emotions they don't want to feel... they don't really have a choice. But with some emotions... you should try to keep them level." He concluded, then sighed and turned to Asahi again "I'm sorry I lashed out at you."

Asahi shook her head.

"I'm sorry for teasing you." She said, smiling kindly.

"You're all nice again?" Pyro asked.

"Yep, everything's fine." She agreed.

"So, what did you discuss with Aang and the others?" Zuko asked finally.

"Why don't we sit down?" She pointed at their usual seating area, and they both made themselves comfortable. Asahi was wondering just how exactly she could make Zuko understand her intentions.

"You see..." She started. "I think we should take our time and travel again."

...

Zuko blinked at his companion.

"Travel? As in go take a walk?" He asked, confused.

"No, travel as in go visit the Sun Warrior Temple. By foot." She added, when he opened his mouth.

"By foot?!" Did this girl have some loose screws in her head? "You know that would take weeks!" He couldn't believe it, what was she suggesting?

"Well, there's this ritual, that will take place in three weeks' time, when the summer solstice arrives..." She began.

"So? Why don't we just ask Aang to borrow Appa and fly there? Or go by Rhino? Or anything, really, that'll take less time than walking."

"But that's the whole point!" She exclaimed "I want us to walk. I want you to live the way you did when you were travelling with Aang."

Zuko was taken aback by her comment.

"...why?" He couldn't make any sense of her words.

"Because you're not happy." She answered in a tiny voice. He felt as if struck by lightning; and he knew just how that felt.

"Not happy? How could I not be happy; I'm the Firelord, the world's at peace. There's no reason for me not to be happy." He explained.

"Then why aren't you?" She asked him with the saddest of expressions.

"I... I'm..." He looked into her eyes and felt as if she could see right through him. "I don't know." He finally admitted.

"And that's not good." She said. "Pyro needs to grow up beside a strong and self-confident partner, and not a Firelord who constantly questions his own path."

Her words stung; mainly because they were all too true. He fell silent, not knowing what to answer. He had felt incomplete ever since he'd become Firelord. He was angry all the time, stressed out, tired and still unable to bend lightning. And whenever he realized he was feeling like that he would get mad at himself, feeling guilty for having all those negative emotions when he was the leader of an entire nation. A banished prince who had come home after restoring balance to the world hand in hand with the Avatar. A lost son who had found his mother again, forgiven her actions and returned. And yet he always had the creeping feeling that something wasn't right. That his life wasn't stable, somehow.

He clenched his fists, then looked up and said:

"What do you want me to do?"


	12. Chapter 12

During the next three days, their decision was announced, with the entire court rumoring about the shocking revelation. They packed, made preparations and Iroh was introduced as Zuko's substitute. On the third day, they were ready to set off.

Aang and the others had all decided to join them and were waiting for them at the outside gates. Iroh accompanied them to the gates.

"My dear nephew, I hope you will find the answers you're searching for." He hugged him tightly. Zuko closed his eyes, enjoying the warm feeling that spread through his body.

"Take care, uncle." He replied.

"Avatar Aang, may your journey be safe." Iroh bowed to Aang who reciprocated the gesture.

"Thank you, General." He said.

Zuko's gaze wandered to Asahi, who was chatting cheerfully with Suki and Katara. He was still amazed how she had so easily seen through his heart. Asahi realized his gaze and shot him an enquiring look. He turned towards his uncle and Aang again, a little bit embarrassed, that she'd caught him staring at her.

"Well then, we'll be on our way."

"Do think of bringing me back some delicious tea!" Iroh exclaimed.

The sun was shining brightly as they began their journey. Appa had stayed at the Fire Palace for he was too big to be taken care of. The Kiyoshi Warriors had been delighted at the prospect of taking care of the Flying Bison.

Zuko enjoyed the feeling of moving again. He liked the warmth of the sun caressing his skin; it was so different from spending all day inside the palace. The fresh air, the sounds of nature, the crunching under their feet as they treaded along the sandy road...

"It's nice, isn't it?" Asahi asked, joining in on his steps. He jolted as he hadn't noticed her coming close. Pyro flew up and curled around her neck. She made a noise that sounded a lot like "Oof." Pyro had grown remarkably. He was now the length of his two arms outstretched and equally heavy.

"Wow, Pyro." Asahi said. "You'll have to start carrying yourself on your own soon." But she patted his head and smiled kindly.

"He's becoming rather heavy, isn't he?" Zuko commented and Asahi nodded. "It is nice." He added after a while and left Asahi smiling in surprise.

"So, Asahi, what is this ritual all about?" Sokka, ever so curious, asked. The others came closer as they kept walking.

"It's the summer solstice festival." She answered as her eyes started shining. "We celebrate the end of summer and beg for a short winter, so that the sun may grant us its power again soon. It's a century-old ritual."

"Sounds nice." Aang said. He had a thing for traditions and rituals, being raised in a Temple himself.

"Yeaaah... is there any food?" Sokka asked.

"Wow, Sokka, you hear the words century-old ritual and connect it to food. How deep." Toph commented. Asahi chuckled and Zuko found himself staring at her again, then quickly averted his eyes.

"There is special food." Asahi claimed "We make traditional Sun Buns and eat them at the time when the sun's at its highest. In the night we have a joyful dance around a campfire, where we present our traditional forms in a unique way."

"Really?" Katara asked "When we were at the Fire Nation, none of them knew how to dance properly anymore..." She remembered the dance she'd shared with Aang in the cave and blushed.

"Well, the Sun Warriors are very different from the rest of the Fire Nation." Asahi smiled and Zuko felt a small pang in his chest. His nation had lost its connection to its roots and there was little that he regretted more.

"You can go and dance with twinkletoes, then." Toph said "He's an excellent dancer." She smirked.

"It would be my pleasure." Asahi answered, ignoring Toph's mocking tone.

They kept walking for some time and Zuko's feet started hurting when they finally reached a village. All of them had chosen simple outfits, so as not to attract too much attention. There was no need for them to hide themselves as they had years ago, but there was also no need to have simple people court them or treat them specially.

"We can have lunch over there." Asahi pointed towards a little pub. "They have delicious flaming rice."

She knew the way to the Sun Temple, having walked all the way from there to the Fire Palace, and so had set the route and their stopping points.

"Oh, if it isn't the pretty traveler." The owner of the pub greeted her with a hearty smile "And I see you've brought some friends?"

"I have, indeed, and I promised them your special flaming rice." She smiled brightly at him and Zuko felt somewhat annoyed. On the other hand, he was surprised and felt light-hearted when he realized no one recognized him.

They sat down and had a delicious lunch at a reasonable price. Afterwards everyone felt lazy and full but Asahi urged them to continue their journey.

"Do come again, pretty traveler!" Their host said.

"I'm sure we will. Before we leave, can I ask you something?" Asahi looked at him with big, pleading eyes. Zuko thought that nobody in their right mind could refuse her like that.

"But of course!" He answered gleefully.

"I'm currently researching the change in economics for a local newspaper and was wondering how the peace and the reign of Firelord Zuko have affected your business." She smiled. Zuko couldn't believe she was able to tell such a blatant lie and from the looks of it, the others were just as baffled.

"Why, it has boosted my business enormously, indeed!" The owner stated "People travel more often and stay at my restaurant to eat. It's wonderful that the world is at peace!"

"And Firelord Zuko? What do you think of him?"

Zuko wanted to turn around and walk right out of the door; but he didn't.

"Well, at first I was wondering if a man who had turned his back on his people so openly would make a good Firelord." The shopkeeper answered in a matter-of-factly voice. Zuko felt a pain in his chest; guilt. "But he turned out to be a magnificent Firelord!"

Zuko's eyes widened and the rest of the Gaang smiled broadly.

"He's very good at negotiating with the Earth King and you get the feeling that, in everything he does, he always has the wellbeing of the Firenation and its people as his first and foremost interest." He concluded.

They had left after exchanging some greetings and were out of the town in no time.

"See." Asahi said as she joined him. "There's no need for you to feel guilty about anything." She smiled warmly and put a hand on his shoulder.

"... Thank you..." He blushed and after she'd removed her hand, he could still feel her touch lingering on his shoulder.


	13. Chapter 13

They walked on until the sun was setting and they made their camp. Aang was staying with Katara, Suki with Sokka and Toph earthbent her tent out of the ground. So Zuko and Asahi were left to share a tent. She was a bit embarrassed, but tried not to show it. They ate a simple dinner over their campfire and were reminiscing some old stories.

"Hearing your stories it seems incredible that you actually won." Asahi said, meaning no harm.

"What?! Are you suggesting we're weak?" Sokka stared at her. Even the others seemed to be offended.

"Hm? No, not at all." She answered calmly. "I mean, what a coincidence, Aang, that you were listening to the monks, running away and then got frozen in the storm... You could have been killed with the other Airbenders and then a Waterbender Avatar would have been born... Maybe even Sokka or Katara." She grinned, looking at them.

"Well, if you put it like that, it is incredible..." Aang admitted.

They called it a night and went to their tents. At the entrance, Zuko and Asahi shared a moment of awkwardness, then crawled in. It was spacey enough, but Asahi couldn't forget the grin that Suki had sent her when she discovered just how they would share tents.

"So... will you continue your story?" Zuko asked, when they each had slipped into their sleeping bag. She turned towards him and was surprised how close their faces were; she blushed.

"Um... sure, if you like." She looked at him enquiringly.

"You know I do." He answered so naturally that she felt dumb for being the only one whose heart was beating fast.

"Oh, okay then... Where were we? Oh, right, the time when I started travelling by myself." She didn't mention her father's death on purpose.

"I kept walking around the Fire Nation's remote villages, since I couldn't risk being found. I worked on any job available to earn money, and continued practicing my firebending. There was this one time when I..."

...

She kept telling him of weird old uncles and funny animals, the nicer and the less nice places she'd seen. He watched her attentively, but forgot to listen after a while and just let her soothing voice lull him into a nice and dreamless sleep.

The next morning Zuko woke up refreshed and ready to go. He saw that Asahi had already left the tent and noticed that Pyro was gone as well. If the two of them hadn't been gone together, he would have panicked. He stepped out of the tent only to realize that the sun was just rising. The others were still happily asleep, but Asahi was doing her morning practice of Dragon Forms together with Pyro. Zuko stared in awe as the fire lit up her red hair and Pyro's emerald scales. When she noticed him, she halted.

"Good morning." Her face was glistening in the morning sun. "Aren't we the early birds, huh?"

"I guess so." He said, smiling "I probably got used to it already. Your annoying 'rise-and-shine' philosophy, that is." He said the words kindly.

"Do you want to train?" She asked him.

"Well, I didn't plan to, but now that I'm here..." He shrugged. He could as well meditate. He looked around in search for a proper spot.

"I didn't mean that kind of training, though." Asahi said. She must have noticed his gaze.

"Then what do you mean?" He looked at her, confused.

"I think it's time you learned some Dragon Forms." She said confidently.

...

"A Dragon Form?" Zuko looked at her as if she was out of her mind. She had thought it through very well the night before. After Zuko had so readily slipped away, she didn't get a wink of sleep. She was too nervous, sharing her tent with him. So she had thought about what to teach Zuko next. They were taking care of a more positive attitude by travelling and didn't need the morning routine anymore. So she could as well make him connected to the ancient arts she loved so much.

"Yes. Oh, don't look at me like that. I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think you were ready." She confirmed.

"Well, if you say so..." His voice was filled with doubt once again.

"Come on Zuko, be a bit more self-confident. You are a great Firebender and I'm sure you can do it!" To encourage him, she'd put her hands on his shoulders. Her face softened. "You're way too hard on yourself." Then, out of impulse, she closed her arms around him.

...

Zuko's mouth fell open when Asahi suddenly hugged him. He had expected pretty much anything, mockery, an outburst, but not this. He could hear his own blood rush through his ears and, since he couldn't think of anything better, just kept as still as possible. Asahi, not getting any kind of reaction, slowly eased away from him. Before he could get a proper look at her face though, she'd turned around.

"Well, anyway, let's just get started!" Her voice was a tad higher than usual.

When Aang and the rest rose, they were already long into the Form. The initial awkwardness had made place for the concentration and physical strain that the Form demanded. They were syncing through it, Pyro, curling and flying around them, harmonizing with their movements.

"You did it!" Asahi exclaimed happily as soon as they had finished. It had been hard and he was rather proud of himself. "See? I told you you're a skilled bender!" She looked like she was about to hug him again, but then she drew back. Zuko took note of the others watching them and did not miss Katara's side-glance or her knowing grin.

"Shall we continue our travels then?" Toph asked. She had already packed her bag and removed her stone tent.

"Um, we could do that..." Asahi started "Or... we could take a bath and have breakfast first!" She smiled forcefully, trying to imitate Aang's cheerful, energizing way of speaking. Her words didn't trigger any other reaction than Sokka's comment, though.

"You guys haven't had breakfast yet? Man, I'm glad I don't have to worry about bending stuff." He shot them a dry look.

"Yeah, but really, what I need more than anything right now is a bath." Asahi pointed out. Zuko could understand her; he was sweaty all over.

"There's a river nearby." Katara suggested.

"Great! Let's all take a dive!" Aang was fired up. When nobody reacted, he looked around. "...what?"

This kid's innocence was unbelievable; how did he defeat his father in a deathly battle?

"We're taking a bath, Aang." Katara pronounced BATH especially.

"So what?" He blinked.

"Without our clothes, Twinkletoes!" Toph stuck her finger in his face.

"Oh- oooooh!" Aang was redder than a tomato in seconds. He backed off, grinning. "Well, then, have a nice bath!" He waved them off.


	14. Chapter 14

When the girls arrived at the stream, Asahi watched it critically.

"What's up?" Suki asked her, seeing her look.

"I don't know... I'm really up for a hot bath now... But I can barely heat up the whole stream now, can I?" She shrugged and sighed. Her muscles were a bit sore and she craved the wonderful sensation of hot water.

"Well, maybe you won't need that!" Katara said.

"What do you mean?" Asahi looked at her.

"Just watch!" She said secretively. "Toph, can you bend a dent in the ground?" She asked. Toph spit out and grinned.

"Leave it to me!" She announced and had formed a proper pool in seconds. Katara filled it up with water from the stream and a smile spread across Asahi's face as she realized what the two of them were planning.

"Alright, my turn now." She pulled up her sleeves and put her hands into the water, warming it up to perfect bathing temperature. The four of them dropped their clothes and sank into the pond.

"Best. Idea. Ever." Suki said blissfully as the steam surrounded them.

"So... since it's girl time here, let's have some proper girl talk!" Katara said after a while, putting on a mischievous grin.

"Do we have to?" Toph asked. "Can't we just enjoy our bath?"

"No way!" Katara interjected "I want to know what's going on between Zuko and Asahi!" She looked at Asahi eagerly.

"Going on? There's nothing going on!" Asahi fretted.

"Oh, really? Tell us, then, why you didn't even reject the idea of sharing a tent with him!" Suki's expression said it all.

"I could have rejected?" She asked wide-eyed.

"Of course you could." Katara looked at her and blinked.

"But you didn't." Suki added.

"I didn't know I could!" Asahi exclaimed, flustered. She felt a bit pressured.

"Does that mean you want to stay with someone else tonight?" Toph asked. As much as she'd denied the idea of a girls' talk, she seemed to enjoy Asahi's uncomfortable situation.

"Um..." Asahi said. If she were honest, she didn't; although she couldn't sleep, she had been sort of happy by the arrangement. "I... would, but I'm sure Zuko won't let me." She added quickly.

"Oh?" Katara raised her eyebrows "Now what does that mean?"

"Not what you think!" Asahi cried. "But I haven't finished my story yet..." She mumbled.

"What story?" Suki asked.

And so she told them of how she'd started retelling her story to Zuko and how it seemed to have a calming effect on his nerves.

"Zuko probably will end up with nightmares again if I leave him be!" She pressed.

"Oh, sure, that's the _only_ reason you want to stay with him." Toph emphasized.

"Please, girls, I really-" But her sentence was interrupted by the Earthbender's "Shush!"

Toph pressed her hand against the earth wall.

"There's someone there!" She whispered.

"Wh-what?" Suki covered her body and Asahi immediately let the water steam up.

"Damn, I'm sure it's Sokka!" Katara exclaimed angrily.

"What?!" Suki seemed majorly offended.

"He's announced to me before that he wants to spend every moment with you!" Her gaze was stern.

"Aw." Suki made a blissful face.

"As funny as the thought might be, it's not Sokka." Toph said "His footsteps sound different. It's none of our group, actually." She concluded.

"Then just who-?" Asahi started, but her voice was drowned out by a loud scream. Toph had earthbent their intruder into the sky, and they were now crashing down. The girls used the moment of confusion and quickly got dressed. Together, Katara and Toph secured the peeping tom, only to find out they'd just captured a young boy, of about twelve years' age.

"What's going on? We heard a scream!" Sokka and the boys came running.

"We caught this boy peeping on us!" Suki announced bashful.

"What?! Peeping on you?!" Zuko lashed out at the boy, and he and Sokka were close to jumping him, if not for Suki and Asahi holding them back.

"Sokka!"

"Zuko! Calm down!" Asahi had grabbed his arm and held him close. That seemed to knock some sense back into him.

"What happened?" Even Aang seemed to barely be able to control himself.

"This boy was loitering around, but we got him." Toph explained.

They all looked at their intruder. He was a Firenation citizen, tanned skin, brown eyes, typical dark hair. He looked at them, terrified.

"Please don't kill me!" He pleaded. Asahi snorted.

"Kill you?" She asked. "Maybe cut out your eyes, but kill you? That won't be necessary." She smiled at him in an evil way.

"My eyes?!" He screamed.

"Asahi!" Katara reprimanded her. "Don't scare him like that."

"Sorry." She shrugged. She _was _raised alongside dragons and sometimes her animalistic nature shone through.

"What did you want with the girls?" Sokka asked him, waving his sickle in front of the boy's face.

"Nothing, really..." He mumbled.

"Are we supposed to believe that?" Zuko shot him another angry look.

"It's the truth! I heard some rumbling and splashing and came to see what was going on!" He looked at them desperately.

"And then you decided to just stay and peek at the girls?" Aang asked grimly.

"No... I just..." He turned bright red.

"You're just a healthy young boy, I assume." Suki studied him closely.

"Please don't hurt me!" He begged again. "I swear I'm never going to do anything like it ever again!"

"He's not lying." Toph told them.

"At least he thinks he's not." Asahi commented. "Hormones are nasty stuff."

"If you let me go, I'll let you stay at my place for lunch!" He added, trying everything in his power not to be crushed by this powerful group of people.

"Katara?" Aang looked at his girlfriend. She sighed, then released the boy's hands, which she'd bound with ice. Toph freed his feet from her earth shackles and he sank to the ground.

"But we're going to have a word with your parents, young man!" Katara exclaimed.

"You can't." He said in a low voice.

"What? You just invited us to lunch!" Sokka made a fierce step towards him and the boy crawled backwards in a panic.

"No, it's because I don't have my parents anymore. They died in the Hundred Year War."


	15. Chapter 15

Zuko stared in awe at the crowded storeroom that was used as an orphanage for all the parentless kids around. The shack was big, but by far not big enough to provide a proper living space for everyone.

"You've been living here since the end of war?" He asked the boy who had introduced himself as Pak.

"Pretty much, yeah." Pak shrugged. His expression was one of nonchalance, but Zuko suspected another layer of feelings underneath.

"Look, it's Pak, Pak came back!" A group of younger children jumped onto the boy and Pak laughed.

"Hey guys!" He greeted them cheerfully.

"Hello Pak." An elderly woman who seemed to be the caretaker approached them. "And who are your friends?"

"They're a group of journalists who write an article about the consequences of the peace."

The Gaang had decided to stick with Asahi's story, since they didn't want anybody to find out who they really were. Aang had covered his tattoos in a headband.

"Well, all friends of Pak's are our friends. Welcome, young ones." She gestured them into the orphanage.

They sat down for lunch with everyone.

"So how did you meet Pak?" The woman, Hara, asked.

"Well, um..." Pak blushed furiously.

"He watched us bending and came over, curious to see what we were doing." Katara covered for him. In spite of her earlier words she was wise enough not to tell Hara the whole story.

"Benders, are you? What elements have you been called by?"

Zuko thought it was a weird way to ask, but he said nothing.

"I'm a waterbender." Katara said. "Shina here is an Earthbender and Jin and Asahi are Firebenders." They had made up their fake names earlier. They couldn't very well go around and announce their real names.

"Asahi." Hara studied her. "That's a pretty unique name."

"Thank you." Asahi smiled. Zuko wondered how in the world she could keep such a perfect poker face.

They ate in silence for a while, then Hara spoke up again.

"I was wondering, if it is not too much trouble, that is..." She hesitated.

"Yes, what is it?" Zuko's words were a little harsh, but he was impatient by nature.

"Zu- Jin!" Asahi nudged his sleeve. "Don't worry, he's just a grumpy person, nothing major." She reassured Hara and he felt embarrassed.

"Well, I think the kids would love a proper bending demonstration." She said "Some are even benders themselves, but they have nobody to teach them." She stared sadly into her bowl of tea.

"Why don't we teach them, then?" Asahi suggested, a kind ring to her voice.

"I am considered a great teacher!" Toph boasted. "The others are all right." Of course she was trying to mock him and Katara.

"You would?" Gratefulness was reflected in Hara's face.

"Of course, we'd be delighted!" Katara answered. Aang looked a little sour. He probably wanted to help teach the children, too, but he wasn't allowed to bend, for appearances' sake.

"And we could teach the other kids some proper self-defense!" Suki suggested eagerly. "One can be a good fighter even without bending."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, sweetie!" Sokka exclaimed, then kissed Suki and Zuko felt a bit averted.

"Oh, this is just wonderful!" Hara's expression was one of delight.

After finishing their lunch, they gathered everybody outside and divided them into groups of each element's benders and the none-benders. The grounds outside of the orphanage were splendid for bending training, wide and vast, nothing burnable very close. The earth was steady and a river nearby. Had the kids' situation been different, it would have been paradise. Suki and Sokka had already started showing their students, who were the largest group, basic stances and movements. Katara and Aang had gone off to the river and Toph seemed to have a great time agonizing her pupils.

Zuko looked at his small group of five firebender kids. To his unpleasant surprise, Pak was a part of them. He really couldn't get himself to like the kid, he thought, as the boy's eyes swayed to Asahi frequently.

...

Asahi studied Zuko who she had assigned to lead the training. After all, her kind of training was much different than what could be used with kids. He was clearly feeling unwell in his own skin.

"Okay, everybody, listen up!" He announced in a loud voice. The kids at his feet winced at his stern tone.

"Fire is a fierce, aggressive element! It is extremely powerful, but if you're not careful, it will end up eating you!"

The youngest of the kids, who, ironically, was called Jin, started crying. Zuko stared at him, then lashed out.

"What are you crying for?! Men don't cry!"

Asahi put a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her. She raised his eyebrows at him and smiled.

"Maybe you should let me try to handle this." She said. She had believed that, after the good work he'd done with Pyro, Zuko could be trusted with little kids. The Dragon was tucked into a small bag, and had complained, but they'd had no other choice.

She lit a small fire in her palm and Jin, Pak and the other kids stared at it with fascination.

"It's beautiful." Jin reached his hand towards the fire and Asahi immediately extinguished it.

"Don't!" She said firmly. "Fire is beautiful. It's life and light and everything good. But it can hurt you." She looked into the small faces. "Water, Earth and Air won't move if a bender doesn't do anything. But fire grows, it spreads and burns down everything that is in its way. To become a true Firebender you will have to understand and accept both sides of fire, the gift that is your bending, but also the burden you carry." Her voice was calm and kind and the kids listened eagerly. She looked up at Zuko and caught him looking at her with the same expression as the kids'.

"Do you want to go on now?" She asked, and he nodded.

"You see, the key to Firebending is the breathing." He began.


	16. Chapter 16

Zuko taught the kids the very first, basic form that he'd learned himself. Some struggled more, others had more talent, but all in all they were faring well. Pak was one of the more talented kids, much to Zuko's dismay, and very soon approached Asahi to learn something else.

"Hey, there, don't stray!" Zuko scolded him.

"I'm not straying!" The boy retorted. "But I'm able to do this form already, see?" He demonstrated it and was indeed able to go through it rather smoothly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself! There's still much you can improve on!" He shot him a stern look.

"But I want to learn more!" The boy stood tall and stubborn.

"Guys, guys, calm down!" Asahi intervened. Zuko looked at her, wondering why she was always so eager to keep the peace.

"Why don't you teach the others while I introduce Pak to a more advanced Form?" She suggested.

"But, I-" Zuko wanted to object, but he didn't really know what to say.

"It'll be fine." Asahi assured, then put an arm around Pak and guided him to a place a bit further away from the others. At the last minute, Pak turned his head around and stuck his tongue out. Zuko fumed with anger.

...

Asahi glanced back; Zuko had turned towards his students again and was eagerly correcting everyone. He was moving from one pupil to another, providing everyone with equal attention. Contrary to his first attempt it was going rather well for now.

Asahi faced Pak again whom she had assigned with one of the basic Sun Warrior stances: The Fire Circle.

"How long do I have to do this?" He asked impatiently. She smirked as his reaction reminded him of Zuko.

"Until I tell you to stop." She answered.

"But this is boring!" He declared. "Can't you show me a cooler move?"

Asahi felt her anger bubble up and swished her arm through his circle, extinguishing the fire. She felt a light burn, but didn't bother.

"How dare you!" She shouted at the boy, who had stumbled backwards. She grabbed his collar and pulled him close. "I'll never teach the secrets of the ancient arts to someone who is only interested in power and destruction!" She growled through her teeth. Staring at his horrified face, she dropped him and sighed. "Go back to your basic Form alone. You deserve neither mine nor Zuko's attention." She turned her back to him and crossed her arms, standing tall and proud.

"N-no, please! I promise I won't step out of line again!" The boy begged. "See? I'm practicing the Fire Circle properly now."

Slowly, Asahi turned around again. The boy was standing in a very wide stance and concentrating very hard. So hard, in fact, that his flame was tiny.

"Give it a little more fuel. Remember your breathing and control your flame." She said in a calm voice and made some adjustments at his arms.

...

"Alright, everyone, gather round!" Sokka was coordinating the children to sit in a proper circle around the Gaang.

They had come to the end of their instruction and decided to leave a word of greeting. Zuko's eyes wandered to Asahi, who was seated right beside Pak. He had felt a strange satisfaction, when he'd seen her scold him earlier. But now they were all happy again. He grunted.

"We just wanted to tell you, that this was a wonderful afternoon for us." Katara stated "We all had a lot of fun and we sure hope that you enjoyed our lessons, too."

Cheering from the crowd. The lot of them all looked exhausted but very happy.

"Thank you, dear benders, for this opportunity." Hara said to them. "We probably won't have a chance like this in a long time. Now, what do we say kids?" She asked and was answered with a "Thank you!" Sung in unison by the kids.

Zuko felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down. Little Jin was staring at him, puppy-eyed.

"Will you come back to teach us again?" He asked.

"Well, I-" He was at a loss of words.

"We're not sure." Unseen by him, Asahi had come close and was now rubbing the boy's head. Jin's face fell. "But fate is a funny thing." She added and a little hope returned to Jin's eyes.

"Asahi, Asahi!" Pak waved at her and she walked over to him.

Zuko started to feel rather irritated. The boy handed something to her at which she laughed cheerfully.

"Tch." Zuko made and turned away just to find himself in front of Katara's grinning face.

"A cute little guy, isn't he?" She asked him sneakily.

"Hrmpf."

"I think he fancies Asahi a lot, huh? Maybe he developed a little bit of a crush on her." She raised her eyebrows.

"He's just a twelve year old kid, how bad can it be." Zuko commented angrily.

"You do realize that Aang was twelve when he fell in love with me, right?"

Zuko disliked what she implied and so left her and went over to Asahi and Pak.

"Oh, Jin, look what Pak gave me just now!" She presented him a roughly carved wooden dragon.

"Carved it myself!" Pak's chest swelled proudly. Zuko shot him an angry look, but then faced Asahi again.

"You should go say goodbye to the other kids as well." He said. She blinked at him, then said:

"Oh, yeah, sure." And went off.

As soon as she was out of hearing range, Zuko squatted down.

"Listen up you little devil." He pointed at Pak's chest. "I don't know what you're planning, but you better leave your hands off Asahi, understood?"

Pak stared at him blankly.

"Oh, please, just because you get a rival in love you go and threaten me? How pathetic."

"L-love?!" Zuko could feel his face flush "I'm not in love with her! She's more like... A sister!" He decided.

Pak raised one eyebrow and snorted.

"Well, since you're not in love with her, I guess you won't care to know about that little birthmark on her…"

That was enough! Zuko grabbed the boy and was ready to give him a healthy shake, when he felt someone tightly grip his arm.

"Zuko!" Asahi said sharply. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Zu...ko? You're... Firelord Zuko?"

Zuko swallowed and glanced around to see if anybody else had noticed, but the others were all otherwise engaged.

"Please don't tell anybody, Pak!" Asahi begged as Zuko released him. "We don't want to draw any attention. The boy, open-mouthed and wide-eyed nodded silently, as if in a trance.

"Hey, guys, are you coming?" Zuko waved at them. They rejoined their group and started walking. Suddenly, beside him Asahi turned around, put up her palm and released the same flurry of butterflies at the kids that she had when they'd first met. The kids shrieked in surprise and delight as the tiny flames settled on their skin and when they looked up, the Gaang had turned a corner and disappeared.

Pak was the one to stay out the longest, staring at the path they'd taken.

"Fire...lord... Zuko..." He mumbled.


	17. Chapter 17

"Well, that was... nice." Sokka commented as they sat down at the campfire.

"I know what you mean. It's been a long time since I taught anybody. It feels very... fulfilling." Katara agreed.

"It's a blast!" Toph threw her fist in the air.

"But those kids... That was so sad." Suki said "I wonder if all war orphans live that way- oh!" She clasped her hands in front of her mouth as everyone looked at Asahi.

"Guys, it's all right, don't worry." She answered and she meant it. Of course she was sad for her losses, but she now led a happy and fulfilled life.

"It's awful." Zuko said quietly and Asahi noted the sad expression he wore. "It feels like the world just slapped me in my face..." He sighed.

"Oh, come on, Zuko, you're good now!" Katara exclaimed.

"That's right." Aang put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's not like you're responsible for this."

Zuko gave him a sad smile, then looked grimly into the fire again.

"But I didn't do anything against it, either..."

"Then why don't you start now?"

He raised his head to shoot Asahi a confused look.

"Well, I mean, you are the Firelord. You have the power and the resources to change these kids' lives." She shrugged. "Maybe you can find some spare money to spend on building some proper orphanages."

Zuko's eyes widened as he imagined the possibilities.

"You're... right." He murmured.

"Why do you say this like it's something very uncommon?" She asked dryly to tease him.

"True, Zuko, way to impress a girl like that." Sokka commented.

"I wasn't-" He started, but then fell quiet as he noticed everyone's mischievous grins. "Oh, please." He blushed slightly.

After dinner, they went to sleep and Pyro snuggled in between Asahi and Zuko's sleeping bag.

"More stories?" She asked. She felt much calmer than the night before. He gave her a pleasant smile.

"Please."

...

The following week passed pretty much the same every day. They rose together in the morning, practiced one Dragon Form or the other, had breakfast at the camp, continued their journey, had lunch at a town or village, then kept walking until they made camp for the night. It was a pleasant time and Zuko felt calmer and balanced as every day passed. Soon, he stopped worrying about his palace duties and just enjoyed the sensation of their travel. He sometimes practiced with Aang or watched the others practicing their art. All the members of the group had their very own fighting style and were motivated by Zuko and Asahi's daily attempt at Bending.

Zuko often thought about Asahi's words. She had mentioned at the beginning of their journey just how lucky they had been to actually defeat his father the way they had. As he reminisced his past with the Gaang he realized just how true that statement had been. Everything seemed to have been laid out by destiny itself.

"What are you thinking about?"

He opened his eyes and studied Asahi's face. He could barely make out the lines of it, but he didn't need to see her to picture her features. They were already as familiar to him as his own. He had gotten more used to her presence than he could have ever imagined.

"You, actually." He admitted and wondered if the slight trace of red he could make out on her cheeks were just a trick of the light.

"What?" Her voice sounded flustered.

"I was thinking about what you said when you heard our stories. About how it was all just one big bunch of luck the way things worked out."

"Luck, maybe;" He could hear a smile in her words "or fate."

"I don't know about fate." He had always been unsure about it.

"Really? You especially should believe in the power of fate. Every time I think of my parents' story I can feel the fate in it." Her eyes must be shimmering dreamily by now.

"How so?" He asked, intrigued.

"First of all, my father could have died as the Dragonlords were slain." She answered. "But also, he could have decided not to attend the party. Then they never would have met. I always think it's funny how such small, seemingly insignificant decisions could change your life so much." She concluded.

"Hm." She was incredibly right. So many small things led to great changes. With these thoughts in mind, he slipped into a peaceful sleep.

...

They kept travelling through creeks, along rivers and over wide open spaces. Asahi raveled at the beauty of the world that surrounded them. She had always been a nature person and spending her time like that, close to nature at all times, made her feel incredibly alive. As time passed and they neared the Sun Warriors' Temple, her affection for Zuko increased notably. She was overjoyed every time he mastered a new Dragon Form, could feel her heartrate speed up whenever he smiled at her and could hardly refrain herself from hugging him every time he seemed down. His character had many flaws but was also really genuine and kind. She knew she could never let him know her feelings, for she certainly wasn't destined to remain by the Firelord's side. But she also worried that he was still unable to communicate properly with Pyro.

The dragon had grown massively and had to fly and hunt by himself by then. He was about three men's' length now and impressive indeed. Whenever they stopped for lunch at a town, he had to keep hidden and wait for them to return. The sudden appearance of a dragon, young as he might be, would stir up way too much trouble.

Asahi enjoyed the Gaang's company just as much and loved girl time with Katara, Suki and, sometimes, even Toph. She felt warmly for Aang whose soul was as nice and caressing as a soft summer breeze. Sokka never ceased to make her laugh, but when concentrating could be an impressive warrior as well. All in all, she had the greatest time.

One afternoon, they were crossing through a mountain path and she felt very edgy. She knew what was to come and was eagerly waiting for her companions' expression as they stepped out of the mountain to gaze at the impressive construction that was the Sun Warriors' Temple.

"It's beautiful." Katara whispered and even Sokka and Suki were staring in awe.

"This is impressive." Toph commented, feeling the ground with her hand to get a better view of the site.

They arrived at the Temple entrance at dusk.

"Who walks there?!" A young Sun Warrior stepped out of the shade.

...

Zuko took a defensive stance as he heard the young man's voice.

"Someone you shall never conquer!" Asahi announced proudly and Zuko stared at her. Had she lost her mind?!

In the blink of an eye, the Warrior had approached them and launched a fireball at Asahi, which she repelled with the flick of her wrist.

"Stay back, everyone." She gestured them to stand behind. "This is my fight." With a determined expression she faced the enemy.

Then she attacked with a roar and the rest of the fight was just a flash of bright flames and hands and feet thrown about. Asahi released a giant firestorm at her enemy which blinded Zuko for a second. When he could see again, Asahi was standing on top of the Warrior who laid, back flat on the ground, hands held high in capitulation.

"I see you have not neglected your training." He said, smiling.

"Have I ever?" She asked him, then, suddenly, pulled him up as they shared a hearty hug.

"Wha-?!" Sokka's face was priceless but even Zuko stared at her in surprise.

"What in the world is going on?!" He demanded to know.

Asahi turned to her friends, smiling blissfully.

"Everyone, meet Han. He and I grew up together."


	18. Chapter 18

"Childhood friend?!" The Gaang stared at Asahi and Han in surprise.

"Yes. Han, say hello to Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph and Zuko."

He greeted each of them _politely_ then rested his eyes on Pyro.

"And this" she said as Pyro curled against her outstretched hand. "is Pyro."

To everyone's amazement, Han dropped to his knees and bowed to Pyro.

"Great master, I welcome you to our humble accommodation." He said in a reverent voice.

"Don't worship him like that!" Asahi reprimanded him in a stern voice "It'll get to his head."

Han's dark brown eyes mustered her in confusion, but he silently got to his feet again, then smiled broadly at her.

"It's so good to have you here again!" He announced.

"It's nice to be home." She answered him with an equally lit-up expression.

"Hr-hm."

Asahi turned to Sokka, who had cleared his throat.

"I'm sure you're happy to reunite and it was a very heartwarming scene, but could we get inside now?" He asked and pointed at the sky. "I think there's a storm coming."

Indeed, the soft blue was about to be covered up by huge, dark clouds.

"Oh!" Asahi exclaimed. "Everyone, follow me!" And she walked ahead with Han. She glanced backwards quickly, only to look into Zuko's irritated face. She cocked her head, but he just turned his eyes away. His reaction confused and hurt her. But as she had decided before, she wouldn't let her feelings get into the way of her mission.

"You won't believe what happened last month!" Han, walking at her side, said. She turned her attention towards him again, happy to get a nice distraction from her brooding over Zuko.

"What?" She asked him cheerfully.

"Shina had her baby!"

"Seriously?! That's amazing!" The young woman had been very pregnant when Asahi had left. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A very healthy, very lively set of boy and girl twins!" He grinned at the surprise in her face.

"Twins? Wow!" She gazed at the sky dreamily. She loved kids, always had, especially babies.

...

Zuko watched Asahi as she chatted with Han in a lively way. He was beyond irritated by her childhood friends' appearance. He very much disliked the way Han looked at Asahi; as it reminded him of himself.

"Wow Zuko" Toph commented quietly "looks like you got some serious competition there."

Zuko only grunted. Indeed, Han was rather handsome, from what he could judge. He had jet black hair, tied up Sun Warrior way, and his well-trained body was on open display, due to the traditional clothes he wore. His skin was tanned from living in the temple and his face even.

They were led to the rest of the warriors were Aang and Zuko greeted the chief respectfully.

"So you have returned." The old man said, smiling kindly. "We were all very glad about the outcome of the war. You make a great Firelord, young prince." He commented. Zuko felt a little proud, being recognized by the chief like that and bowed to him once again.

"Thank you." He said "I hope you know that without your and the masters' help, we never could've made it."

"How are the masters?" Aang enquired and Asahi's head shot up.

"Very well, from what I can judge. However, my skill to communicate with them is not as good." He looked at Asahi.

"I reeeeeally wanna go see them!" She pressed through her teeth. She had been on edge ever since they had entered the Temple. Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but Han was quicker.

"No way, Asa, if you go out in this weather, you'll kill yourself!" His voice was commanding. Indeed, as soon as they had found shelter in the inner temple, a powerful storm had hit the mountains. It was pouring, and the sky was filled with lightning regularly.

"Pah!" Asahi made and pouted. Zuko wondered if he could show her how to redirect lightning one day.

"Oh, come on, Asa, it's not like I ordered the storm." He put his arm around Asahi's shoulder and Zuko felt his blood boil.

"Hey!" He grunted "Don't you think you're being overly familiar?"

Han looked at him, surprised first, then furrowed his eyebrows.

"Excuse me?" He said and got up. Zuko got to his feet as well, building himself up in front of Han.

"I'm saying: you're being overly familiar around Asahi."

"Uh... Guys?" Asahi had stood up and was now approaching them carefully.

"Stay out of this, Asa!" Han waved her off, keeping his eyes locked with Zuko's.

"Don't tell her what to do!" Zuko lashed out; he was very, very angry.

"Yeah! Fight!" Toph shouted.

"No!" Asahi exclaimed, squeezing in between them. "No fight!" She said firmly, and shot Zuko an irritated look. "This is a holy Temple, a place of peace and life. What in the world has gotten into you, Zuko?"

Han looked over Asahi's shoulder triumphantly.

"But he-" Zuko pointed at Han who quickly put on puppy eyes when Asahi turned to him.

She faced him again, looking angry.

"Oh, whatever, forget it!" He stomped off, leaving the room and everybody in it behind.

...

Asahi watched Zuko as he left the room in his hot-headed way. Everyone around her had fallen silent, watching her expectantly.

"Wow, what's his deal?" Han asked and sluggishly put his hands behind his head; he fell quiet when Asahi shot him a stern look.

"He is the Firelord!" She exclaimed "Show him some more respect."

And with these words and under many curious eyes she left the room to go after Zuko.

She found him outside, leaning against the rail of a ledge, staring grimly into the storm.

"Come inside." She said calmly and he turned his head to look at her, then turned back again.

"You shouldn't be out here in this storm." He said.

"Well, neither should you." She stepped to the rail, taking a space beside him.

"That's fine." He answered. "I know how to redirect lightning."

"You what?" She'd never heard of that.

"It's a Firebending technique uncle taught me." He explained.

"I see." They fell silent and Asahi watched the trees and bushes bend in the wind.

"Han tends to be..." She began after a while "a bit overpossesive." She concluded. "Ever since my father's death he has been all out against the royal family." She sighed. "He did admire him with all his heart."

"Does he always treat you like that?" Zuko turned towards her, looking irritated.

"Like what?" She had no idea what he meant.

"Like you belong to him." Zuko furrowed his eyebrows. "Calling you Asa and touching you all day long."

"Touch me?" She felt herself blush. What a weird expression.

"Yes! All the hugging and holding hands and-" he threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Well, yeah..." She looked for the right words to say. "But that's alright. We're practically like brother and sister." She shrugged.

"Brother and sister?!" He spit the words out.

They fell silent once again and the storm around them quieted down until all but a gentle breeze was left and the sky cleared up again. Asahi knew how she could cheer Zuko up, grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.

"Come." She said as he looked at her in confusion. "I want to show you something."

She brought him up a steep hill that stood a bit further away and climbed it. At the top, the view was dazzling. One had a proper panorama of the whole Sun Temple. She watched Zuko as his eyes widened in awe and smiled.

"Here, follow me." She dragged him to the edge of the hill. They stared into a gaping abyss.

"Whoa!" Zuko took a careful step back.

_Little Dragon. _

Asahi turned her back to the abyss, then smiled at Zuko, closed her eyes and let herself fall backwards.


	19. Chapter 19

"Asahi!" Zuko cried and tumbled towards the place she had just stood. Staring down, he couldn't find her. A cold, clenching fear rushed through his entire body. Suddenly, his hair was blown back by a gust of wind that seemed to have come from the bottom of the abyss. A deafening roar sounded through the mountain and Zuko had barely enough time to draw his head back and evade the enormous blue dragon that came rushing up.

"Whoohoooo!"

He looked up and discovered Asahi, safely seated on the dragons back, clinging to one of his spikes. The dragon did a few twists and turns in the air, then gently landed in front of Zuko. He just stared, mouth wide open, without any idea what to say or how to react. Asahi dismounted, smiling blissfully.

"Shaw wanted to meet you." She said. "He's very eager to hear about Pyro."

"Uh-huh." Zuko murmured and just kept staring into the Dragon's eyes. They had left Pyro behind with the Sun Warriors, were he was treated like a god and enjoying it notably. "Um..." He said after a while. "He's a good kid. Very nice."

The dragon mad a rumbling noise and Asahi chuckled. Zuko looked at her, seeking help. She finished laughing and translated:

"He thinks you're funny."

"Oh... thank you...?" He seriously wondered how she could act so naturally around Shaw. The creature's mouth was so huge, he could easily swallow him whole.

"Asahi? Asahi!" Han's voice echoed from the foot of the hill and as he came into view, Zuko tensed. "Oh, great master!" As soon as he had set sight on Shaw, he fell to his knees, as he had done with Pyro.

"_Get up, Little's Soul._" Asahi said, obviously translating for Shaw.

"Thank you, master." Han got to his feet. "May I speak?" He asked respectfully. So he _did _know how to show respect, Zuko thought.

"_Go ahead._"

"Asahi, you can't just leave like that!" He reprimanded her in a gentle tone. "Everyone was worried." He shot a glance towards Shaw, seemingly careful to show enough respect to the both of them.

"No they weren't." She smiled. "If they were, the whole Gaang would have come along with you, as well as Pyro." She concluded. She stood proud, one hand softly on Shaw's side.

"Oh, alright, then I was the only one worried!" Han admitted. "But still!"

"She's fine." Zuko interjected. "She was with me." He took the space between Han and Asahi and covered her from him.

"Like that's so safe." Han murmured under his breath, looking grim.

"What did you say?!" Asahi demanded.

"Nothing." Han looked to the side. "Just make sure you return to the site soon, okay?" He turned around and trotted off, fists clenched.

"Seriously, what is his problem?!" Zuko wanted to know, but Asahi just sighed and shook her head.

"I have no idea." She answered. "He's usually very pleasant company." She shrugged, then turned her head to Shaw, who seemed to speak.

"What? What do you mean, naive?" She pouted. Was she really squabbling with a dragon?

Shaw made a noise very similar to Pyro's laugh, then touched Asahi's forehead with his snout.

"I'll see you later too. Yes, I'll make sure we bring Pyro." She closed her eyes and leaned in on the dragon, then Shaw got up in the air, releasing a blast of fire, just to return to his home cave in a flash.

"Wow." Zuko looked after him, too impressed to say anything of matter.

...

"Say, why was Shaw calling Han 'Little's Soul'?" Zuko asked her as they were descending the hill. Asahi smiled, remembering.

"Ran and Shaw call me Little Dragon." She explained. "Or, most times, just 'Little'. So Han, whom I grew up with and who turned out to be my very best friend, is called 'Little's Soul'."

"Is that so?" Zuko had a sour look on his face.

They soon rejoined the Warriors and Pyro cheerfully curled around them. He very much enjoyed being doted on like that.

_These people are very intelligent!_ He commented _They know how to properly treat a creature like me. _

Asahi shot him a dry look.

"If you keep talking like that you'll get a proper lecture from your parents later." She told him.

_A lecture from Asa-mama and Zu-papa? _He asked, big-eyed. They never really lectured him about much.

"Not, not us. Your _real _parents, Ran and Shaw, the great dragons!" She exclaimed.

_Ran... and Shaw..? _His expression was confused.

"You'll know when you meet them." She said gently. "Until then, go ahead and enjoy your stay."

When she looked up, she found the Gaang staring at her.

"What?" She asked, tracing her hands through her hair, insecure.

"No matter how many times we see you talk to him like that" Katara explained. "It's still impressive."

"Oh... really?" She blushed slightly, unsure of what to make of this comment.

"So, when will this great ceremony start?" Sokka asked, impatient for the event.

"Tomorrow from noon until dawn." She explained. "We have free time until then." It was only afternoon of the day and they had plenty of time on their hands.

"Then could we explore the temple? I bet it's beautiful!" Aang seemed eager to do so.

"Of course." Asahi smiled at him. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"I can show you around." Siah, the chief's eldest daughter raised her hand. "I'm sure you want to spent time with the masters." She looked at Asahi.

"That would be great, thank you, Siah!" She smiled warmly at the girl.

"I wanna see if ther're any proper earthbending spots around here!" Toph announced.

"And I was wondering if you guys have a special place where you invent all those traps and stuff." Sokka, curious to the bone and always eager to know more, told them.

"Actually, I'm curious about that as well." Zuko commented. The Gaang stared at him in surprise. "What? This culture is part of the Fire Nation and its history." He raised his hands.

When they all had left, Han approached her.

"Asa, you're not serious about letting them join in on the Summer Solstice Ceremony, are you?" He looked at her as if she was out of mind.

"Of course I am." She answered, irritated.

"But, they're just... uncivilized oafs that know nothing about our culture!" He exclaimed desperately.

"What?!" She snapped at him. "These uncivilized oafs as you call them are the Avatar and the Firelord and their amazing and powerful group of friends. They ended the war and saved the world!" Her voice was at a shout now. She couldn't believe how her beloved Han could act in such a stubborn and narrow-minded way.

"But-"

"No buts, Han! Why are you acting this way?! You're not only insulting them and me, but also the tribe by behaving the way you do!" She pressed.

"I just..." He seemed at a loss of words.

"Everybody, could you please leave us alone for a while?" She asked the others; they quietly left the room. "Tell me what's wrong." She sat down calmly and patted at the ground beside her when they were finally alone. He joined her hesitantly and he could see grief in her eyes.

"It's just that... I think I feel..."

"Yes?" She tried to encourage him when he stopped.

"I feel threatened." He concluded in a low voice, his eyes fixated on the ground.

"Threatened?" She had not expected that. "Why would you feel threatened?"

"I'm scared you'll leave again, like before." He had a sad look on his face and her heart ached. "I couldn't take it."

"Han." She said, facing him. "I love this place, it's my home." She pointed out. "No matter how often I will leave, you can be sure that I will always, _always _return."

He raised his head and looked at her.

"Promise?" He asked, eyes full puppy-dog mode. Her heart warmed up and she said:

"Promise."

They gave each other a hug and Asahi was incredibly relieved to have resolved the matter in such a peaceful way.


	20. Chapter 20

"We check the traps on a regular basis." The sun warrior explained while holding up one of the various traps he'd shown them. Zuko had been fascinated by their culture and technical development. He and Sokka had spent the last hour most pleasantly.

"And with this, we- oh, Princess!" Their guide gave a quick nod towards the door. Zuko turned around and saw Asahi examine them. Her expression was soft and once again he found himself captivated by her presence.

"Oh, hey Asahi." Sokka raised his hand. "What're you doing here?"

She entered the room, smiling pleasantly.

"I came to pick up Zuko." She claimed. Surprised, Zuko blushed.

"What?" He stared at her.

"We'll go get Pyro and then we'll give a proper greeting to Ran and Shaw." She explained calmly.

"Huh? Isn't that something you should do on your own?" Zuko had assumed that she'd want to spend some time alone with her unusual foster parents.

"No way." Her cheeks puffed as she put her hands on her hips. "You're coming along! Pyro is being raised by you as much as by me! If not more so." She concluded.

"But-" Still unsure of her decision, he wanted to say something, when his words were cut short by her.

"No buts, I'm taking you and that's that!" She gripped his sleeve and pulled him along.

"Oh, Sokka!" She turned to face the baffled boy. "Tell the others not to worry, will you? We'll probably spend the night in Ran and Shaw's company." With that, she turned around again and dragged Zuko with her.

"Hey!" He complained "Don't go making these sorts of decisions by yourself!" He felt irritated, being once again swayed by her pace.

"What?" She stopped, released him and blinked at him. "Have my decisions ever turned out badly for you?"

He stared at her, wondering if she'd really meant that, then answered:

"That's totally not the point!"

"Why're you so cranky about this?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well…" He began "Maybe I don't want to spend the night with two enormous Dragons which are Pyro's real and your foster parents and which are sure to judge me!" He pouted. Once again, Asahi shot him a confused look.

"Are you, by any chance, intimidated by Ran and Shaw?" She asked. Exasperated, he threw his hands in the air.

"Of course I am, Idiot! Who wouldn't be?"

"You don't have to be so harsh." She mumbled and averted her eyes. Suddenly, Zuko felt a strange pang in his chest; Asahi seemed really down, and he was getting nervous.

"Hey, um, don't cry, okay? I, I didn't mean what I said!" Eager to lighten her mood, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Really?" She asked him through big eyes.

"Really!" He assured her.

"You'll come to Ran and Shaw with me?"

How could he possibly resist.

"Yes, I will." He answered und resignation. Suddenly, Asahi's face lit up and a split second later, Zuko realized that she'd had him.

"Great! Now, where did that pampered little Dragon fly off to?"

…

Asahi was feeling mischievous. Her little trick had made Zuko accompany her quietly and after a short search, they had gotten a hold of Pyro, who was groomed by several of the Warrior girls.

The three of them made their way outside the temple and Asahi felt her heartbeat fasten with every step she took towards her foster parents' quarters. When they finally reached the entrance to the Dragon Cave, she was awfully fidgety.

"Hey."

She turned to face Zuko.

"Hm?"

"Can you stop doing that?" He asked and pointed to her fists, which she'd clenched and released time and again.

"Oh, I… sorry, it's just that I'm kinda nervous." She admitted.

"Nervous? You?" He looked at her in astonishment.

"I do get nervous! I haven't seen the two of them in a while!" She felt a little mopey, taking a tiny offense by his words.

"We saw Shaw just a while ago." Zuko reasoned.

"Yes, but that was just a short greeting." She explained "And we brought Pyro now. I'm so nervous what they'll say to him!" She clenched her fists again.

"Oh, for heavens' sake." Zuko exclaimed and reached out, closing his hand around hers. Surprised and abashed Asahi looked up, but in the semi-darkness of the cave couldn't make out his features.

"Now let's get moving again." He said "Lead the way."

…

Zuko was glad that the darkness of the cave covered his reddened face. He was feeling nervous as well, meeting the Masters, but his heart was racing for another, very prominent reason. However, he wasn't able to leave the insecure Asahi alone like that and thus had taken such an action. She had fallen quiet and was silently leading the way through a maze of tunnels large enough to allow the two great Dragons to pass through. Zuko looked up, amazed by the size of the place and almost ran into Asahi when she halted. He looked at her, the ahead, as she was pointing out in front of her.

"There." She said.

Pyro, who had accompanied them patiently, now flew ahead, as if in a daze, not noting the two of them anymore. He was approaching the golden shimmer of light at the end of the present tunnel. Asahi and Zuko followed him and Zuko was blinded when they stepped into a giant cave that was covered in stalactites and stalagmites and emitted an orange light. Only after his eyes had accustomed to the brightness he could make out that in the middle of the cave there was a huge fire burning, heating up the entire room.

Ran and Shaw had built up in front of them, looking especially dangerous in the glowing light and Pyro was floating just in front of their faces. Compared to his birthparents, the green Dragon seemed almost cute. The three of them kept staring at each other, and Zuko swallowed, feeling that he must not disturb them at any coast. Then, all of a sudden, the three Dragons shot upwards curling around each other as they approached the ceiling. A heavy roar filled the cave and, terrified, Zuko stared at Asahi, only to find her smiling blissfully.


	21. Chapter 21

Asahi watched as Ran, Shaw and Pyro tangled together in a raw, animalistic greeting, and her heart lightened up at the sight of them. Her foster parents had accepted their son and thus acknowledged her way of raising him. She was overjoyed and wanted to tell Zuko but fell silent when she found him staring at her.

"Wh-what?" She blushed.

"…Nothing…"

She was about to say something else, but was cut short when Ran approached her rapidly. The red Dragon curled up around her and Asahi leaned against the warm creature as Ran greeted her.

_Hello, Little. _Ran's voice was warm and kind, like a mother's. _How have you been?_

"I've been doing fine, thank you." Asahi answered quietly. Her heart filled with a great, unwavering love.

_That's good, then. Well, now, shall we attend to our other guest? _The Dragon turned her attention towards Zuko and Asahi followed.

_Fiery Prince, how are you? _

Too embarrassed to use his nickname, Asahi roughly translated:

"Ran asks how you are."

"Um, I'm fine, thank you." He murmured, seemingly overpowered by their presence. Asahi could slightly connect to the feeling. When she had returned from her solo travels she had suddenly felt an awe for Ran and Shaw that she had lacked as a younger child.

_Asa-mama, Asa-mama! _Pyro came flying towards her, full of energy and happiness. _Look, my dragon-mama and dragon-papa! _He spun around her in joy.

"Yes, didn't I tell you?" She asked and chuckled.

_Young one, do show some dignity. _Now even Shaw had lowered himself from the ceiling and Asahi found herself and Zuko engulfed in Dragons.

Pyro stared at his father, then lowered his head. _Yes, Father. _He said and Asahi felt a little pang in her chest, wondering if her role in Pyro's life had just been diminished.

_Little, the Fiery Prince is staring. _Ran nudged her shoulder gently with her snout and Asahi turned towards Zuko. Indeed he was staring at them wide-eyed, seemingly unable to say anything of consequence; or really anything at all.

"What's up, Zuko, nervous?" Asahi asked mischievously. Of course he was, but as always she found it fun to tease him.

"N-no, not really!" He denied his feelings and blushed lightly. At the sight of this, Asahi smiled gently, approaching him slowly.

"That's okay, they are impressive, after all." She said and put a hand on his arm. "But it's fine, really. They have accepted you long before and now they are very pleased with how Pyro turned out." She explained.

_Scared of us, eh? Well, he'd better be._ Shaw commented. _A Fiery Prince like him can be happy that we granted him the honor of raising our child. _

"Shaw!" Asahi reprimanded him "Don't be mean. Also, stop calling him that!"

"Stop calling me what?" Zuko asked, curious.

"Ah, nothing, really!" Asahi said, trying to wiggle her way out of it. "Nothing of consequence." But this time, he didn't let her get away.

"Calling me what?" He asked again. Asahi looked down, blushing and felt like a little girl that had just been embarrassed by her overprotective parents. She sighed and mumbled:

"They call you the Fiery Prince." She peeked up and saw Zuko's expression changing from surprised to annoyed to angry.

"What?!" He asked, enraged.

"Well, you were still a prince when they met you and you are hotheaded!" She tried defending the Dragons. Somehow, that made her feel silly, considering the difference in size. She sighed once more, then put on some puppy dog eyes and said:

"Oh, come on Zuko, don't be angry. They don't really mean it and besides – I never called you that, now, did I?" Immediately, she could feel him respond in a much more pleasant manner as his face relaxed and he shrugged.

"Maybe they're right." He admitted.

…

After the first, rocky conversation was managed, Zuko, Pyro and Asahi spent a very enjoyable evening with the two great Masters. Zuko found they were great company, wise and noble, yet witty and wild.

"_We're glad things turned out the way they did._" Asahi translated Shaw. "_We would have worried for mankind, had you and the Avatar not joined forces and won the war._"

The evening had gotten on and their conversation had turned to more serious matters.

"And I am grateful to have received the gift of Fire from the Masters." Zuko responded. "I would never have rediscovered my Bending without you."

"_Oh, but your flame is always within you, Fiery Prince._" That must have been Ran. The red dragon seemed a bit more mischievous than the blue one and could not be convinced to drop his silly nickname.

"_Zu-papa, you're a great Firebender._" Asahi translated the solemnness in Pyro's voice perfectly.

"Still, I doubt the war would have been won but for your help." Zuko insisted.

"_It's good you're humble. But always remember, the Firebenders learned their ancient arts from us Dragons and thus you must never forget your dignity and self-confidence as it is those traits that truly make your flames marvelous._" The blue dragon looked at him with a serious expression.

As the hours went on, Asahi seemed to grow ever more tired and while she was still translating she slipped off into a deep sleep in the middle of a sentence.

"Asahi?" Zuko whispered, but the Dragonlord just turned around, nestled between Ran's claws. The red Dragon lowered her head, but, obviously, Zuko could not converse properly with her anymore. He could try and guess, though.

"Are you trying to tell me to let her sleep?" He asked. In answer, Ran nudged his forehead with her snout and suddenly, Zuko felt all warm. He closed his eyes and smiled, suddenly in awe of his situation. He was travelling with the Gaang, slowly finding inner peace, reconnecting with his roots, raising a dragon and spending time with two great dragons and all of it thanks to one small girl.

"Great Masters, my I take her to the temple's sleeping quarters?" He asked "I think Asahi has deserved a quiet good nights' sleep in a proper bed."

In answer, Shaw wrapped his tongue around the sleeping Asahi, carefully raising her from the ground and dropping her into Zuko's outstretched arms.

"Thank you." He murmured as her studied her peaceful, sleeping face.

"Great Masters, I thank you for this wonderful evening. I thank you for assigning me with Pyro. And, most of all, I thank you for connecting me with Asahi. I shall take my leave now. Pyro, you can spend the night here, if you like, or you can accompany us. Just as you like." The dragon looked at him, then at his birthparents and cuddled up beside them. Zuko wasn't angry at him; on the contrary, he could understand Pyro for wanting to spend time with Ran and Shaw.

Somehow, and he was totally unaware how, he was able to make his way out of the cave and back into the clear and bright night sky. The afternoon's storm had completely cleared up and he felt just as calm as the night around him as he carefully put Asahi into the bed of the chamber she had shown him earlier. He cast her a last, long glance, the turned away and went to sleep himself.

…

Asahi could feel a slight rocking and to warm, strong arms carrying her around, but she was too tired to open her eyes and look up. But she thought that she could tell who was carrying her anyway, as it was a warmth so familiar to her that it most likely belonged to one person only.

"Papa." She whispered as she slipped back into the land of dreams.


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning Asahi awoke in her bed in the Sun Temple. She looked around in confusion, wondering how she might have gotten there. Then she remembered her dream of being carried gently and wondered if it might not have been a dream at all; the thought of Zuko carrying her bridal style made her blush.

"Asa! Wake up, it's morning!" Like a whirlwind, Han entered her room.

"Han!" Suddenly embarrassed, she pulled her blanket to her chin. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, waking you up! It's well past dawn already, after all!" He sat down on her bed, looking at her in surprise. "I never knew you could sleep in for so long." He said.

"Well past dawn?!" Flustered, Asahi jumped out of her bed, not caring anymore about the fact that she was in her sleeping attire; though she sure wondered just who changed her when she was put to bed.

"Yep, the ritual will begin soon." Han shrugged. "I thought I'd let you know."

From behind her dressing screen, Asahi stuck her tongue out at him.

"Idiot!" She exclaimed as she dressed herself in the traditional attire that was demanded on the day of the Summer Solstice Festival.

"Hey, is that how you thank me when I so graciously save you from the humiliation on sleeping in on the Solstice?" Han's voice had a mischievous ring to it and even though she could not see it Asahi knew exactly just what kind of face he made.

She stepped out from behind the screen, slowly and carefully, so as not to rip the colorful clothing apart.

"How do I look?" Embarrassed, she ruffled through her hair and when she looked up, found Han staring at her, gaping.

"Wh-what?" Suddenly nervous, she fussed over the layers of fabric that covered her body. "Do I look weird?"

"W-weird?" Han sprang to his feet. "No, no you don't look weird at all!" He grabbed her shoulders and she looked up at him. "You… you look great…" He murmured.

"Thank you…" Just like Han's, Asahi's voice trailed off.

"Lady Asahi, are you awake?" A young girl's voice came from outside her chamber and she answered.

"Yes!" Hastily, she tried to put some dignity in her appearance. "Yes, I'm awake. Please do come in."

Siah, the chief's young daughter, entered and blinked at Han.

"Oh, Han, I didn't know you were here." She said and a light flush covered her cheeks. Asahi slightly squinted her eyes, taking note of Siah's reaction towards her best friend. The girl was about three years younger than the two of them, but already started to grow into a rather pretty young woman.

"Ah, I just made a wake-up call." Han explained and shot Asahi a lopsided grin. "But it seems you won't need my help now anymore, do you?" His eyes glinted.

"Bah, get out now, and prepare yourself! You aren't dressed properly yet, either!" Asahi pushed him out of the room and let Siah do her magic work on her; the girl sure had a talent with make-up and the likes, something Asahi was sure she'd never learn herself.

…

In the morning, Zuko and the Gaang were woken gently and then led to the dining hall, where they took in some light breakfast.

Zuko was looking around for Asahi and noted that Han, Asahi's so-called brotherly childhood friend, was doing the same. Some time later, when they had almost finished their breakfast, Han got up and hurriedly left the room; Zuko caught himself wondering where he was going. But he did not get much time brooding over it, as the lot of them were soon led into a large chamber and provided with some traditional Sun Warrior clothing that they were to wear during the ceremony.

"Damn, I like these people! They understand just how unnecessary shoes are!" Toph said loudly as she stomped around the room blissfully.

"I don't know…" Katara said "Do I look fat in these?" She glanced towards Aang who passionately denied it.

"It's weird though." Sokka commented "They don't wear shoes…" He looked down at his bare feet. None of them (except, of course, Toph) felt all that comfortable barefooted, but they also didn't dare to say anything. After all, they were allowed to attend a sacred ceremony just like that.

Midday approached fast and once again they were led outside the temple by some of the Sun Warriors. There, where Aang and Zuko had received the Dragons' judgement, the whole tribe had gathered. The Sun Chief was standing on the bottom of the long stairway, smiling kindly at them.

"Welcome, dear guests." He said as they approached. "We're happy to have you attend our Holy Ceremony of the Summer Solstice. Please enjoy the performance and have a merry time celebrating with us." He opened his arms wide to gesture his welcome. The Gaang was honored and all of them, even Toph, bowed graciously.

"Now then. " The Chief continued "Shall we begin?"

Zuko and the others were led to some prominent front row spots from which they had a proper view of the Ceremony. The chief and some of the Warriors, including Han, started chanting.

"Great Sun Goddess, Holy Dragons, messengers of the sun, once more we bid farewell to the summer you bestowed upon us and hereby ask for your mercy in returning it next year as fast as possible." The chants grew in volume as the mountain started to rumble. Slowly the Chief raised his arm, then cried:

"Behold!" At once, the chants died out. "The great Masters, their heavenly child and the link between them and us; bow to the Dragons and the last of the Dragonlords, our Princess, Lady Asahi!"

The Chief and the Warriors all around them fell to their knees and Zuko and his companions stared in awe as Ran and Shaw shot out of their respective caves. They flew around the stairs, taking the same position as they once had when they granted him and Aang the gift of fire and spew out their giant flames. As the flames subsided, Zuko could make out the figure of a much smaller Dragon and that of a young woman. He couldn't believe his eyes, staring blankly at Asahi as she descended the stairs. Her wild, red hair had been tamed with a beautiful golden headpiece and she was wearing a colorful dress that revealed her tummy. Her eyes had been highlighted with makeup and she bore herself with great grace, seeming almost divine.

Pyro was by her side, either having found dignity himself or being swayed by the mood, his movements were even more feline than usual.

"_Great Warriors of the Sun Tribe._" Asahi's voice echoed over the site. "_My Honorable Parents have allowed me, Pyro of the Dragons, to talk to you today._"

Zuko shifted his gaze from Asahi to his Dragon; Pyro was talking.

"_We are ever so grateful for everything that you did for us. May it be of hiding us, providing shelter to our Connected Ones or taking care of our eggs. If we are, like you deem us to be, messengers of the Sun Goddess and if she is willing to listen to us, then we will try to grant your wish of a short, gentle winter and a long, fertile summer. May the blessing of the Goddess be with you all!_"

Cheering erupted after the last words subsided and swiftly, a huge amount of food was brought to the stairs and offered to Asahi and the Dragons. Ran and Shaw descended from their places beside the stairs and each quickly devoured on whole roasted boar, then ascended again, flying in circles around each other before disappearing in their tunnels again.


	23. Chapter 23

Asahi looked around, her chest swelling with pride for the role Ran and Shaw had provided Pyro with. She was awfully happy for him. She searched the grounds then found and locked her eyes with Zuko's, trying to communicate her feelings to him with a mere look. He was looking awfully handsome in Sun Warrior attire and she had a hard time not staring at him during the rest of the ceremony. Finally, when they were all allowed to sit down by the table and eat, she found herself beside him.

She beamed at him and he stared back.

"Wh-what?" He asked.

"I'm so proud of Pyro!" She exclaimed "Had you thought Ran and Shaw would assign him with this? I sure haven't!" She answered herself. "I'm very happy." She concluded. Zuko's features softened as his lips raised to a small smile.

"It is an honor." He agreed.

"Asa, you were great!" Han popped onto the empty seat beside her. Aang and the others had already been occupied by the rest of the Tribe who showed them the customs and the special food only made on the Solstice Festival.

"Thanks, Han." She smiled at him.

Pyro, who had rested peacefully beside her, raised his head and eyed him suspiciously.

_What does that guy want? _He asked grumpily.

"What? Pyro! Han can come and sit with me whenever he wants." Asahi gave him a stern look.

_Is that so?_ Pyro's tone was unpleasant still, but he laid back down again.

"What's wrong?" Han asked, looking confused.

"Hm? Oh, it's just that Pyro's suddenly all cranky because you're here…" She murmured, concerned.

"Wh-what? I'm so sorry, I never meant to offend-" Han started, but Asahi simply held up her hand to stop him.

"Don't worry, Han, I think that Pyro is just jealous…" She sighed, then put her smile back on. "Don't let his foul mood waste this wonderful day."

Han blinked at her, then smiled as well.

"As you command, Princess." He said and took her hand to place a peck on it.

"Geez, Han, how many times must I tell you to stop it with the Princess thing!" She chuckled, then stopped fooling around with Han, when she heard Zuko grunt beside her. She cast him a questioning look, but he simple turned his back towards her.

She wanted to ask what's going on, but was interrupted by Han.

"Hey, Asa, you haven't forgotten about the dance, have you?" He asked, eyebrows raised. "Have you been practicing?"

"Of course I have!" She retorted. "Have you? Don't let me outdance you like last year!" She scolded him playfully.

"Oh, I won't, you'll see, we'll-"

"Han! Come over here for a sec, we need your advice!" A younger Sun Warrior called from the other end of the table. Han looked at him, then sighed and got up.

"I'll be back soon." He said. "Don't you run away on me."

Asahi laughed.

"Just go!" She said and pushed him away gently.

"Finally he's gone. I swear, that guy's so noisy." Zuko pressed through his teeth.

"…what?" Asahi asked, surprised and a bit hurt.

"I don't know, I just can't stand him." Zuko commented, looking sour.

"Not you, too." Asahi felt sullen. "I thought this was a happy day, but all you and Pyro are doing is creating a bad mood." She looked at him, eyebrows furrowed.

"Tch, you don't get it at all." He said, ripping off some bread and taking a bite.

"What?" She asked, annoyed and curious of his answer. "What don't I get?"

"I don't know, everything!" He exclaimed, then suddenly got to his feet. "I'm leaving, I need to be alone some time."

As he got up, Asahi felt awfully frustrated. She could feel her eyes fill with tears, but did her best to push them down again.

"Come, Pyro." Zuko commanded. "Before that fool returns."

Pyro flew to Zuko, and turned at the last moment to face her again.

_You're an idiot, Asa-mama!_ He scolded her, then flew off beside Zuko.

Asahi just sat there, oblivious to anything else around her and felt as if she'd just been slapped across her face.

…

Zuko stomped off the festive grounds to wallow in his agony alone. As he continued walking, slowly, but surely, his anger subsided, leaving nothing but a hollow feeling behind. When he looked up, he realized he'd climbed the hill that Asahi had shown him the day before, where they'd met Shaw.

"Stupid Asahi, being taken in by his sweet words!" He exclaimed.

_Right? And even though his intentions are sooo obvious, she pretends to be oblivious to them!_

Zuko stumbled backwards as he took note of the teenage voice behind him. Startled, and a bit scared, he stared and Pyro.

_What is it, Zu-papa?_ The dragon asked him curiously _You look as if you've seen a ghost._

Concerned, Pyro approached him.

"Pyro… is that… you?" He asked slowly.

_What do you mean 'Is that you' there isn't anyone else around, is there?_ Pyro's expression was one you'd grant a full-fledged idiot.

"No… I mean… is that your voice I'm hearing?" Zuko concluded.

_Zu-papa, you can hear me?!_ Upon this announcement, Pyro performed some looping in the air, overjoyed at the prospect of being heard.

"I… I can, can't I?! I can hear you, I can really hear you, Pyro!" Suddenly, the world felt so light, he felt incredibly elated.

_That's great, so great! We have to tell Asa-mama!_ Pyro started flying back, when a sudden realization hit Zuko and he cried:

"Stop! Pyro, don't!"

Pyro stopped short in mid-air and turned to face him slowly.

_Zu-Papa, what's up? _He asked, confused.

"No, it's just… I was wondering how Asahi would react if we told her." Zuko dropped on the ground and Pyro flew over to him.

_I'm sure she would be overjoyed, just like us._ The Dragon commented.

"Yes, but… after that?"

_What do you mean?_

"Well, it's her duty to stay by our side until I can take proper care of you, isn't it?" He asked, brooding over the prospect.

_Yes… so?_

"So I think that, at the moment she learns that I can hear you… she'll conclude that I can take proper care of you… and leave us." His voice faded out just as his mind did at the prospect of Asahi leaving his side.


	24. Chapter 24

Asahi was worried. In the afternoon Zuko had stormed off on her and had yet to return. She sighed once more and put on her arm shield.

"Lady Asahi, what's wrong?" Siah, once more helping her with her preparations, asked. Asahi looked at her and asked:

"Why do you think something's wrong?" She asked, surprised.

"Well, you've done nothing but sigh since we entered the dressing room." Siah explained innocently. She was a sweet girl, very attentive and good-willed so Asahi doubted she'd understand.

"Oh, um, it's nothing, really." She said "But thanks for your concern anyways." She smiled at her kindly when someone knocked at the door. Asahi's head jolted up, hoping that Zuko had returned, but was somewhat disappointed when only Katara and Suki entered.

"Hey, Asahi, do you- wow!" Katara clasped her hands in front of her mouth.

"Asahi, you look amazing!" Suki exclaimed. Asahi felt a little embarrassed and said:

"Thanks, you two, but it's really all just due to Siah's wonderful make-up." She turned towards the girl that had blushed as well. "She's a sorceress with the stuff."

"It's beautifully done." Katara commented.

"Indeed." Suki agreed.

Asahi smiled at them, suddenly grateful for their appearance, then turned to Siah.

"Thank you Siah. Once again, you've done your magic on me. I hope you won't take offence if I ask you for some time alone with Katara and Suki?"

"N-no, of course not, Lady Asahi!" The girl exclaimed then hurried out of the room.

"Oh, mylady, huh?" Suki asked when Siah had left.

"Oh, stop it! I've asked her a hundred times not to call me so, but she just won't stop." Asahi sighed.

"Ah, there, you've done it again!" Katara pointed at her.

"What?" Asahi asked, confused.

"You sighed again." Suki explained. "Ever since Zuko has left the table you've done nothing but sigh."

"Wha- I didn't-"

"You did!" Katara interjected "I'm surprised that Han fellow didn't feel offended at all."

Han had returned to her shortly after Zuko had left and she had tried to listen to him, but had felt little joy in the conversation, much to her own dismay.

"He's not…" Her voice trailed off. Asahi had no idea what to say.

"Come, girl, I'm sure there's something you want to talk about." Suki concluded.

"That's right!" Katara agreed "Otherwise you wouldn't have sent Siah away."

"I…" Asahi sat down on the floor and the other two followed her example.

Asahi drew her knees close, resting her chin on top of them.

"I think you were right…" She mumbled, barely audible.

"What? I don't think I've heard you." Suki said with a grin.

"Suki!" Katara reprimanded her "Right with what, Asahi?"

"I… I'm in love with Zuko." Asahi felt scared and relieved at the same time. Relieved, to finally admit it to herself, to get her feelings out; and scared because she had no idea just what would happen from here on out.

"But that's great!" Katara cheered "You and Zuko will make a wonderful couple!"

"I couldn't agree more!" Suki commented eagerly. ""Go tell him!"

"What?!" Asahi stared at her, wide-eyed "Never! I can't!"

"Why not?" Katara asked, concern in her voice.

"Because… it interjects with my mission. I have to get Zuko to properly connect with Pyro. I can't leave the Firelord before he learns to listen to his Dragon's voice." She explained.

"Well, you won't have to leave. I'm pretty sure Zuko loves you, too." Suki shrugged.

"And what if not? Or, even considering, what if? Would we get together? Could he stay with someone like me? What if we quarreled? Broke up? Everything would be fought on Pyro's back. No I can't tell him, I won't; and you cannot, either!" She looked them straight in the eye and swore them to secrecy. "Promise me you won't tell him!"

Katara sighed, then nodded.

"I promise I won't tell Zuko of your feelings."

"What? Katara!" Suki protested, but a silent glance from the Waterbender stopped her. "Alright, I promise I won't tell him either."

"And no telling Sokka or Aang, either!" Asahi eyed her suspiciously.

"Damn it, Asahi, don't ruin my plans." Suki complained, but then smiled gently. ""Hey, listen, even if you won't tell him, never forget that we're here, alright? We're your friends, you can rely on us." She put a reassuring hand on Asahi's shoulder and a warm feeling spread in her chest.

"I couldn't have said it any better." Katara added and suddenly, they shared a group hug.

"Thanks, girls."

Once again, someone knocked on the door. This time, Han entered, eyeing the three of them suspiciously.

"Asahi, are you ready? Our dance is about to begin.

…

After calmly concluding that it was better not to tell Asahi about his achievement, Zuko and Pyro returned to the festivities. The long dining table had disappeared and the people were gathering around the space in the middle. At the top of the stairs a musical band was preparing. Zuko looked around and found Aang, Sokka and Toph. He joined them as they waved them over.

"Hey, Zuko, there you are! We missed you, mate!" Sokka put an arm around his shoulders and grinned at him. Zuko furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Toph and Aang.

"What's with him?" He asked, irritated, as Sokka kept snickering beside him.

"The great warrior can't hold his liquor." Toph commented drily as Aang shrugged, at a loss of words.

"Hm. Where are the girls?"

"I'm right here!" Toph pointed out.

"I meant Asahi, Katara and Suki!" Zuki was getting angry again.

"Ah, Asahi left long ago, but Suki and Katara only just followed her." Sokka lulled "Said somethin' about girl talk or some such thing…" His voice trailed off.

"Is that so…" Zuko granted Sokka another unhappy look, but let him be. "So, what's going on around here."

"We're not sure. While you were off moping around somewhere, they built this up." Toph gestured around.

"Didn't Asahi mention something about a traditional dance?" Aang asked, trying to avert Toph's attention from Zuko's absence.

"She said they'd perform traditional forms in an individualistic way, I think." Zuko agreed.

_Zu-papa, look! _

Zuko looked up as the Chief entered the middle of the circle.

"My dear friends, dear guests." He nodded towards them as Sokka put up his hand and called:

"Us, us, he means us!"

Zuko felt incredibly embarrassed.

"Yes, Sokka, they know, we're the only strange ones here." He scolded him in a low voice.

"We'll now continue our great ritual with our traditional dance. As always our opening act will be the dance of our Princess, Lady Asahi, and her chosen dance partner, Han. But as the night goes on, please feel free to join us in the fun." He smiled pleasantly, then made way for Han and Asahi, who were walking into the middle of the circle. Asahi looked extremely beautiful; She was wearing tightly fitting trousers and a matching tight crop shirt with short sleeves. The outfit was held in red and orange colors, all enhanced by the golden light of the lanterns that brightened up the plaza. The only thing that diminished her beauty was the sight of Han holding her hand tightly.


	25. Chapter 25

Asahi forced herself to not let her eyes trail off in search of Zuko. She'd had enough disappointment in one day and thus didn't want to feel anymore by not finding his face in the crowd. Instead, she turned towards Han, who beamed at her, and the the rhythm of the music take her over. Han and her had performed this routine for three consecutive years and each year their dance was improving. Their dancing was a mixture of athletics, spins and, of course, an ancient Dragon form. After a few steps, her body moved by itself, and she felt as if she could cast off any sorrow if only she'd dance long enough. Moving like this was familiar, it was fun and it made her feel at home; Han made her feel at home. He could probably tell that she hadn't felt that great just by looking at her face when he'd picked her up, but he had said nothing, instead just tried to lift her mood by joking around with her. She was always so grateful to have him by her side.

Their music piece came to an end and Han threw her up in the air one last time only to safely catch her. Once again, the crowd erupted into cheers, and her best friend pulled her close.

"I think we've outdone us again this year." He whispered in her ear and she laughed.

"Thank you, Han." She gave him a hearty hug as the people started streaming onto the dance ground.

"Wanna dance some more?" He asked cheerfully, but Asahi hesitated.

"Um, I…"

"Oh, Asahi, there you are!" Katara approached her, dancing, while holding onto Aang. "Zuko wanted to talk to you!" She said and Asahi could tell it was a blatant lie , but she was grateful to have an excuse to go look for him. "I think he's over in that corner." Katara pointed in the direction of choice and Asahi turned to Han.

"Thanks for the offer, but you heard her." She gave him a peck on the cheek. Why don't you go ask Siah?"

"Siah?" Han had a baffled look on his face as Asahi turned. When she passed Katara, she whispered "Thanks." and trotted on.

She found him on the very edge of the plaza, brooding by himself, as always; the orange fire illuminated his face and she asked herself how anyone could not fall in love with his dark, handsome features. Quickly, she banished those thoughts and approached him.

…

Zuko angrily stared into space. Dance? Dance?! That hadn't been a dance! It had been a lovers' whatever! But not a dance! The way that idiotic Han had whirled her around, his hand at her hips, her waist, just remembering it made his blood boil. But the worst out of it all was Asahi's blissful expression as Han held her close. And Zuko, stupid himself, hadn't turned away, couldn't, for Asahi's movements were so beautiful and captivating that he hadn't been able to avert his eyes. When they'd finally stopped moving he broke free, stumbling into Katara on his way out of the crowd, and earned a suspicious sideway glance.

"There you are."

Zuko looked up as Asahi's familiar voice reached his ears. He couldn't possibly swallow his anger so easily and thus lashed out at her:

"What are you doing here?!" He asked roughly only to regret his words the moment they'd left his mouth. She'd softly crossed her arms in front of her and looked downcast. Her beautiful forearm ornaments were glistening in the lanterns' light.

"That's what I want to ask you." She answered in a low voice. "Why are you not with the others, dancing?"

"I don't feel like dancing." He turned his eyes away from her, since the strange urge to take her in his arms was growing ever stronger.

"I… had hoped that maybe you'd dance with me…" Her voice trailed off. Zuko hated her sounding so insecure.

"What! As if you'd need me to dance! Why don't you just go back to your loyal little dog!"

…

He'd practically spit in her face. Asahi could feel her anger bubble up, covering the hurt she'd felt at his harsh words. Her eyes narrowed and with one swift move she had pushed him against the stone wall, securing him in place with her right hand.

"You know what, Zuko, ever since I've seen you today, you've been nothing but rude and uncivil." She hissed as she stared into his somewhat frightened eyes. Yesterday, you complained about Han being rude, and he was, but today you've been so much ruder than him! Do you think you can allow yourself anything just because you're Firelord?! You're embarrassing me in front of my people by behaving the way you did and I regret having asked you to attend the Festival. It was my mistake, but I'll make sure never to make it again." She turned away from him, resolved to leave him be in his horrible mood, but suddenly felt his fingers close around her wrist.

…

Before he could counteract, Zuko's hand had moved on his own, securing Asahi's wrist and holding her in place as she was about to leave. She stopped, but didn't turn around.

"What?!" She demanded, her voice heavy.

"… I'm sorry." Zuko murmured.

Slowly, she turned around and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes; he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"What…?" Her eyes widened in wonder.

"I'm sorry." Zuko repeated, this time slightly raising his voice. "You're right. I was behaving like a dope. I was rude and uncivil and did not only embarrass myself but the entire Fire Nation with my behavior today." He concluded. He hated apologizing, but he had the dreadful feeling that Asahi would slip away from him if he didn't do it; and, even if he disliked it, he meant his apology, as she had been right.

Asahi swallowed and her expression changed to a pout.

"You know a simple apology isn't enough to make amends for this, right?"

Somehow relieved by her reaction, Zuko chuckled.

"I know. How about I offer you to dance the next dance with me?" He asked.

She raised one eyebrow and slowly her mischievous grin returned to her face.

"You can dance?" She asked and he averted his gaze.

"Maybe… a little." If hell froze over. But he wasn't going to admit that after seeing Han move so smoothly to the music.

…

Elated, Asahi accompanied Zuko to the dancefloor. She was aware of Katara's and Suki's smug sideway glances, but chose to ignore them. They took a dancing position, but after the first few steps Asahi regretted asking Zuko for a dance. The guy was a disaster. Every second beat, he stepped on her toes, but instead of complaining, somehow her whole body shook and suddenly, laughter burst out.

"Wh-what?" Zuko asked her, blushing.

"Wow, Zuko, you're horrible at this." She told him.

"I-I know that myself." He averted his eyes.

"But, that's great!" She exclaimed and chuckled once more as he looked at her in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Because: We'll have something we can work on once we return to the Fire Palace!" She explained and happily continued their dance.

…

"…once we return to the Fire Palace!"

Seldom had Zuko felt such relief in his life as he did when he heard those words. She would return with them; she wouldn't stay here, with Han, and tell him that he could get on with Pyro by himself. She'd stay with him; and Zuko would make sure she would have a reason to stay. He'd never tell her that he could hear Pyro's voice already.


	26. Chapter 26

The night ended peacefully and everyone gratefully dropped into their beds as dawn was breaking. That night, Pyro actually accompanied Zuko to his sleeping quarters instead of spending the night with the other Dragons; the new communication between them had strengthened their bond.

Zuko woke up to the sound of a Zan Flute gently presenting its melody. He got dressed and followed the music, curious to know the player's identity. He and Pyro trotted along an empty hallway to one of the Temple's outer corridors. There, in the gentle midday sun, he found Asahi, sitting on the edge of the wooden planks that the corridor was made of. She had her eyes closed and obviously enjoyed the melody that her flute was emanating. Zuko watched her, careful not to catch her attention, since he didn't want her to stop playing. As the tune died out, Asahi turned around and faced him.

"Won't you come out of the shadows?" She asked, smiling gently.

"You knew I was here?" He asked, surprised.

"Pyro has a very prominent presence." She simply said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Zuko approached her and took a seat beside her as Pyro was exploring the small patch of garden they were facing.

"I didn't know you could play." Zuko said after a few moments and pointed to the flute.

"Oh, not much, and not very well at all!" Asahi laughed "The tune you just heard is pretty much the only one I know." She looked at the flute and her face became solemn, her eyes drifting far into the distance. Zuko wondered what she was thinking of that very moment, but somehow didn't dare ask.

"My father taught me how to play." She said after a while; smiling sadly, she turned the instrument in her hands. "He thought that, with my mother gone, and him having absolutely no talent in singing, there had to be some way to make me attached to music. Well, it seems his strategy worked." She suddenly looked up, smiling at him brightly, but Zuko could make out the haze that this nostalgic music had laid over her eyes.

"My uncle loves music." He said, trying to change the topic and cheer her up a little.

"Does he?" She looked truly interested and so he told her of the many times that Iroh had played music during their travels; he failed to mention, though, that it had annoyed the hell out of him during those times.

_I think it's a bit weird; music, that is. _Pyro commented. Zuko did his best to keep his face a blank, trying not to give away that he could hear the green dragon.

"And why's that?" Asahi asked, providing him with a lovely, lopsided grin.

_Because; you blow into staffs, hammer on things and pluck on strings and that makes you feel elated. It's weird._ He answered, matter-of-factly.

"You're weird." She stuck out her tongue and Zuko was surprised at her childish answer, yet felt a little flutter in his chest, discovering yet another side of her character.

"Well, then; shall we go grab something to eat?" Asahi asked shortly after and together they took off to the dining room.

…

Asahi had been surprised at Zuko's arrival and wondered why he wouldn't come out in the open, but figured that he just didn't want to disturb her. She had felt awfully nostalgic that morning and playing her favorite tune had just been another way of feeling closer to her deceased father.

In the dining room, they met the rest of the GAang and Asahi rolled her eyes slightly, as Suki and Katara cast her some meaningful gazes.

"Have you all slept well?" Asahi asked around.

"Like a rock!" Toph announced, energetic as ever.

"That's good." She chuckled.

"I could have slept some more, to be honest. The night was so short." Sokka yawned.

"Oh, come on, Sokka, it's fine, it's fine!" Katara patted his back as she called out to him in a rather loud voice.

"Oh, be quiet, you, I'm trying to recover here!" He bit back, holding his head; it seemed that he had taken a little too much of a liking into their Sunberry Liquor and was now suffering the consequences.

"Sokka, are you hungover?" Asahi asked, not without a slight smirk.

"No, I beat my head against the wall last night just to try and see what happened." Was his ironic answer.

"Don't be mad. Try some of the pickled vegetables. I know" She added as he made a sour face "But it helps! Trust me. And drink a lot of water, lay down and rest in some shady place and in a few hours you'll be over it." She winked at him.

"You sound as if you're experienced." Suki raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"You say! Last year, Han thought it funny to try and see what would happen when I drink too much…" She sighed, remembering the aftermath of the experiment.

"Is that so…" Zuko looked grim at the mention of Han and Pyro snorted.

"Aren't you a little too young to drink?" Aang asked, worried.

"Hey, I was just as old last year as Sokka is this year." She answered, pouting. Did she look that young to him?

"What?!" The group busrt out in surprise.

"What 'what?!' ?" She asked, baffled. Was it that much of a surprise to them?

"Well, I would have guessed you the age of Katara at most!" Toph said.

"Really? I'm nineteen already, guys!" She exclaimed.

"You look much younger!" Suki commented.

"Well, I'm not sure if that's a compliment." Asahi scratched her head. She had assumed that they had guessed their age right.

"Think positive, when you grow old, you'll always look younger." Sooka said and Asahi shot him a slightly angry look.

"You're… the same age as me?" Zuko suddenly asked. The rest of the conversation seemed to have passed him without effect.

"Um, yeah…" Asahi shrugged "But, well, age isn't really much of a matter… my mom was two years older that my father, after all."

"Oh? That's good to hear." Aang said, eyeing Katara.

"You're right." Katara said, reciprocating Aangs loving gaze. "Age really doesn't matter."

They halted their conversation as Han was approaching.

"Asa, morning." He said, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Morning, Han."

"Good morning to you guys, too." Han said while facing the GAang. He seemed to have made his peace with their presence at the Temple.

They greeted him back, obviously glad that he had ceased his hostile ways towards them.

"Say, Asa, not that I'd want to encourage you, but when exactly are you planning to leave? Depending on the day, I'll take dips on you today." He said self-confidently, while reaching for some fruit she'd left on her plate.

"Dips?" Zuko asked, sending her best friend a bitter gaze.

"It means, I'll want to spend the day with her and her alone." He explained slowly.

"Oh, shush, Han." Asahi waved her hand in front of his face, growing tired of his games. "We haven't made any concrete plans on our return yet, but we cannot stay for too long, with Aang being the Avatar and Zuko being the Firelord and all." She answered.

"As much as I enjoy staying here, I really can't exclude myself of the world for too long…" Aang added reluctantly.

"Me, too; my minio- my students shouldn't be left alone for too long or they'll wreak havoc with their poor skills." Toph shook her head, grinning, as she belittled her students; from what Asahi had heard so far, they were making great progress, but Toph wasn't a person to compliment anyone easily.

"Well then, I think we should get going tomorrow, after all." Asahi said.

"Do you have to accompany them?" Han asked, a reluctant look in his eyes. "The Firelord seems to cope with Pyro just fine." He gestured towards Zuko and his dragon.

"Han." Asahi warned him, a sharp tone in her voice.

"Yes, yes, I understand. So, will you spend the day with me?" He asked, big eyes melting her heart.

"Ugh… alright, but not the whole day!" She added quickly as his face lit up. "I'll have to pack my stuff and get ready for tomorrow."

"Yes." He got to his feet and put another friendly peck on her cheek. "I'll pick you up in your chambers in an hour." He said as he trotted away.

"He sure is peculiar, that Han guy, huh?" Sokka commented, after Han was out of hearing range.

"Peculiar?" Asahi blinked at him.

"Well, all the hugging and kissing you." He shrugged. "If I were Zuko, I'd be really jea-"

Sokka couldn't finish his sentence as Zuko, Katara and Suki jumped him and covered his mouth all at the same time. Asahi watched them in surprise and confusion. When Sokka had struggled free, he snapped at the three of them.

"What's the big deal, guys?!" He threw his arms around, then, suddenly, fell back on his chair. "Oh-oh. I feel dizzy." He said weakly.

"Remember my tips." Asahi said, chuckling slightly. "They work."


	27. Chapter 27

„Asa? I'm coming in!" Shortly after knocking, Han entered her room. Asahi was already waiting for him, wondering what he was planning to do for the day.

"Hey." She greeted him, smiling pleasantly. Sokka had tucked away in his quarters, Suki attending to the sick, lamenting patient with a saint's demeanour. Aang and Katara had decided to spend the day 'coupley' which, for them, meant practising Waterbending and walking around all lovestruck; Asahi envied them for being able to openly show their affection for each other. Toph had made some friends in the Warrior Circle and was roaming the Temple alongside them while Zuko had gone off somewhere with Pyro. Asahi was watching his growing bond with the Dragon with great pleasure; she hoped that Zuko would be able to hear Pyro soon, as she knew the happiness he would feel when first experiencing it.

"… of the two." Han concluded, then looked down on her, cocking his head. "Hey, Asa, are you even listening?" He raised one eyebrow.

"Sorry, sorry, I admit I didn't!" She closed her eyes, clasping her hands and when she slowly opened one eye, she found him smirking.

"Geez, even when I ask you to spend some time with me, all you think about is them, right?" He asked.

"Oh, come on!" She nudged his shoulder, feeling guilty. "I already said I'm sorry; I am!" She emphasised when he eyed her suspiciously. "I promise I'll concentrate on you from now!"

"Well, that's good, because I've prepared something special for today." He answered pointing ahead of them. They had left the Temple a while ago and were now on the open plains that surrounded it. As Asahi looked up in the direction he was gesturing to, she caught eye of a large rock decorated with flowers. When she approached it she found some incense sticks burning in front of it and a teapot along two cups. But all that was only on the edge of her notice, for what really captured her attention was the inscription someone had carved into the rock.

"_For Long Huo, great Dragonlord, loved husband, cherished father and admired mentor. Gravely missed until the end of time." _

Asahi just stared at the gravestone for some time, unable to speak.

"This…?" She finally said, weakly pointing towards it.

"I made this. It's today, isn't it? Your father's death anniversary." His voice was calm and low, careful not to say too much, so as not to hurt her. Asahi swallowed and nodded slowly.

"You knew?" She asked. She had always tried to keep it a secret in front of Sun Warriors, that her father had died the day after the Summer Solstice; she loathed ruining their festive attitude towards the day.

"Well, I wondered last year how easily convinced you were to get so drunk. I never figured you'd be a person to do such a thing. So I had some suspicions and researched for a bit, only to come across the real reason for your behaviour…" He let his voice trail off. Slowly, then ever faster, Asahi could feel the tears streaming down her face. She covered her mouth with her hands and sobbed painfully.

"Asahi!" At once, Han was by her side, grabbing her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I never should have brought you here! Just… just forget what I said, let's just go back and-"

But Asahi shook her head violently; contrary to his assumptions, she wasn't crying out of mere sadness. A mixture of feelings had crept up in her; love for her father, grief for his death, gratefulness for Han, for providing her with such a huge gesture.

"No, no, please, I want to stay here." She said after fining her voice again. Carefully she approached the stone, gently touching it when she'd come close enough. "It's beautifully done." She said, turning towards her friend "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

A reluctant yet warm smile spread across Han's face.

"I'm glad you like it." He answered.

Together they sat down, talking about the old and the even older times, where her father had still been present. It was soothing for her soul and she'd never realised how much she'd missed talking to someone about everything.

…

Aang found her standing alone in front of what seemed to be a gravestone; reading the inscription, he figured Asahi's connection to the person described and slowly approached her.

"Asahi." He finally said, trying not to surprise her too much. She turned around, her pretty red hair glimmering in the sunlight. Her expression quickly changed from heartbroken to surprised to relieved.

"Aang. What are you doing here? Where's Katara?" Her voice was gentle, as most times, and Aang answered her truthfully.

"Katara wanted to look after Sokka." He smiled, remembering her worried face. "She pretends to be all tough towards him, but she worries."

"Oh, yeah…" Asahi smiled as well, probably remembering Sokka, he figured.

"…Are you okay?" He gestured towards the tombstone. She followed his gesture, then turned around again, smiling sadly.

"Somehow. It's his death anniversary today, you know." She shrugged weakly.

"I'm sorry." He truly was. He could connect with the Dragonlord on many levels, as their understanding of spirituality and destiny was pretty alike and also considering the dreadful fate the two of them had suffered. Asahi looked at him, then sat down on the ground, facing her father's gravestone and patted the ground beside her. He took the opportunity and sat down as well.

"It's been so long, and I still miss him so much." She admitted, hugging her knees. She looked vulnerable and grieved and Aang took great pity in her. He wanted to help her and suddenly came to a realisation.

"Hey, Asahi." He began and she turned her head towards him. "What would you think if I offered you to visit the spirit world in order to look for you father?" He asked.

Asahi's eyes widened; then, slowly, she began shaking her head.

"No, Aang- I can't possibly ask you for something like this. You're the Avatar!" She protested. He had figured she would react like this and had thus prepared a proper answer.

"You know, one of the great advantages of being the Avatar is being able to cross to the spirit world. I am well aware of my position, but sometimes I can use my abilities for my own; or my friends, in this case." He smiled encouragingly.

"Aang, let me tell you once again that it would be out of line for me to ask you of such a thing; but know, that I desire nothing more than being able to speak with my father one last time. Maybe hear what he thinks of me now…" Her voice trailed off and he knew he'd convinced her.

"Okay." He said, and took a meditating position. "Then let me." Breathing deeply and calmly, he quickly passed the border between the material and the spirit world and found himself in the glowing and unusual other world.


	28. Chapter 28

Asahi watched as Aangs tattoos starten glowing; she'd heard of the state from the Dragons and from the others, but it was still a unique sight. Figuring that the Avatar would need some time in the spirit world, she assume a meditating position herself and tried to calm her heart. After a while, though, she realised that, with all that had happened, meditation was impossible for her at the moment, and so she just laid down on the soft grass that surrounded them, closed her eyes, and let her thoughts stray. Han had left her after they'd finished their tea, realising that she'd need some time on her own. He was such a great friend and she was utterly relieved that he was behaving as she knew him and not as unpleasantly as he had presented himself those past days. She knew he resented the royal family for murdering her father, but she wondered why he couldn't realise just how different Zuko was from his father. Zuko; at first she had assumed that he was the one approaching her earlier, yet it was Aang. How surprised she'd been at his arrival and even more so at his suggestion of looking for her father in the spirit world. She'd never really spent any time alone with the Avatar so far but it was obvious that he was a great person. And not simply because he was the Avatar, but for everything that Aang, the Airbender, represented. She always felt a slight envy at the way Aang treated Katara; the girl had told her of her love story with the Avatar and Asahi felt that they deserved nothing more than happiness, yet she wished that Zuko would look at her the way Aang watched Katara. If only just once.

Suddenly, Asahi heard Aang move, so she sat up quickly, watching him impatiently. The glowing subsided and she knew he'd come back. When he opened his eyes, he was smiling gently.

"Did you…?" She asked carefully when Aang stayed silent. He nodded; Asahi could feel tears fill her eyes yet again.

"I am to tell you that he's very proud of you."

She gasped, unbelieving of his words.

"And also, that Pyro is a great Dragon; he couldn't have raised him any better."

The first tear trickled down her cheek.

"Oh, and your mother wants you to know that she never once regretted having you, so you should live your life freely and in joy."

"…my mother?" Asahi's eyes widened in surprise.

"They found each other in the spirit world. They are happy, Asahi." He added, after seeing her reaction. She was overjoyed, yet couldn't stop her tears from falling. Her father had reunited with his greatest love. She couldn't have asked for more than knowing that he was happy on the other side. She felt the sudden urge to hug Aang and said:

"Say, Aang…"

"Yes?" He looked at her enquiringly.

"Would it… would it be too much to ask you to give me a hug…?" She asked shyly and blushed. Aang chuckled and opened his arms wide. Asahi carefully accepted the gesture and let his natural warmth caress her soul. Slowly, her tears subsided and in the end, she found herself smiling happily. With everything that had happened lately, the friendly affection of Aang's was just what she'd needed. After a while, she eased away from him, grateful for his appearance.

"Thank you, Aang." She finally said, meaning each and every word of it, unable to express her feelings any better.

"I'm the Avatar." He said, smiling and shrugging. "It's my job to help people."

That last comment made her laugh and she was about to suggest that they return when a female voice rang over the plain.

"Aang? Are you there?" Katara was calling for her boyfriend from the distance and Aang's face brightened in the most adorable way.

"Katara!" He called out to her. "I'm over here!"

The pretty Waterbender joined them but stopped short when her eyes locked on the inscription on the stone.

"Oh- oh, dear, Asahi, I'm so-"

Asahi stopped her, raising a hand and shaking her head, smiling gently.

"Actually, I'm fine." She admitted. "I was a bit down this morning, but Han and Aang here cheered me up. I must say, you've made a great match." Asahi winked at Katara who blushed. "If he weren't taken maybe I'd make a move on them." She added and laughed at their faces as her words sank in. "I'm joking, joling!" She said grinning, an patted their shoulders equally. "He's all yours." She whispered in Katara's ear but couldn't help placing a playful peck on Aangs cheek. She trotted of cheerfully, leaving the two of them behind in their bafflement.

…

Zuko was wandering the Temple grounds with Pyro in order to relieve his mind of imagining whatever that stupid Han was doing with Asahi right now. He found beautiful paintings, great statues and awe-inspiring views, none of which helped him in his quest.

_Zu-papa, are you still worried? _Pyro asked, feeling the tension Zuko emanated.

"Worried? Over that little twit?" He snapped. He didn't mean to lash out on Pyro, but he was just so on edge.

_Hey, it's not my fault! _The Dragon defended himself. Zuko sighed:

"Yes, I know, sorry." He said as the two of them walked on. When he turned a corner, he bumped into someone and stumbled backwards.

"Hey, can't you look where you're- oh, it's you." Zuko's face stiffened as he found out that the one he'd run into was no other than Han.

"Oh, the Firelord, eh?" The other man mad a disrespectful grunt. Zuko looked around, trying to find the person he'd much rather see at the moment.

"Looking for Asahi?" Han asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "She's not with me anymore."

"Is that so?" He tried to turn his face into a blank, so as not to give away the relief he'd felt at Han's words.

"Yes." Standing in front of him, the Sun Warrior assumed a threatening pose so Zuko built himself up as well.

"So? Where is she now?" Zuko asked slowly. He had no desire in conversing with the guy, but he sincerely wanted to know.

"Why would I have to tell you, huh?" Han spit out. He obviously had no intention of getting along with Zuko, but neither did he.

"You're really annoying, you know that?" Zuko asked through his teeth.

_Yeah! You show him, Zu-papa!_ Pyro encouraged him fiercely.

"What? You're just jealous I'm closer to Asahi than you are." Han snorted.

"I'm not." Zuko denied. "Just annoyed by your disrespectful behaviour."

"Oh, please." Han rolled his eyes. "You're so obviously in love with her, it's almost sad."

Zuko clenched his fists. This guy brought out all his rage, but for Asahi's sake he tried to remain calm; he realised though, that the torches' flames that were lit on the wall were growing stronger.

"The one who's obviously in love is you. I mean, you're not even trying to hide it."

At those words, Han sneered.

"And why should I?" He retorted and shrugged. "I have every intention of making Asahi mine. I have loved her for a long time and I'm not such a coward to deny my feelings like you."

"So you do love her!" Zuko exclaimed.

_I knew it!_ Pyro commented beside him.

"Of course." Han remained awfully calm which made Zuko even angrier. "Have you looked at the girl? She's beautiful, bright, cheerful, strong… everything one would want in a woman."

There was nothing Zuko could answer to that as, somehow, he felt exactly the same as Han did. His teeth crunched as he tried to suppress his desire to give his rival a good old punch in the face.

"What? You're speechless now?" Han asked scornful.

All of a sudden, Pyro built up between the two of them, his back towards Zuko.

_Leave him alone, puny little human, or you'll learn just how devastating a dragon's wrath can be._ He growled.

Although Pyro was not yet as huge as his parents, he was impressive enough, indeed. Slowly, Han backed away. Pyro, still showing his teeth, kept growling.

"Great Master!" Han cried. "I'm sorry, I never meant to offend you!" And thus he ran away, but not before shooting Zuko another hateful look. Zuko watched him leave, putting a calming hand on Pyro's side and tried to not let Han's words influence him too much.


	29. Chapter 29

"There, all packed." Asahi wiped some sweat off her forehead and looked at her luggage. It was plenty, but she was confident that she was able to hurl it all back safely. Looking around her room she started feeling a little melancholy; the Sun Temple was pretty much her home, after all.

"Have you finished yet?"

Asahi's heartbeat quickened and she silently scolded herself for being shaken so easily just by Zuko's arrival. The Firelord was standing in the doorframe, Pyro's head popping up beside his.

"Zuko." She simply said, searching for some other words.

"I thought I'd swing by, check up on you." He entered nonchalantly and sat down on a stool.

_Zu-papa was quite worried, you know. _Pyro said and Asahi thought that she could see Zuko's face twitch slightly.

"You were worried for me?" She asked, careful not to exclude him from the conversation.

"Worried? Don't joke around." He said, crossed his arms and pouted. "… I met Aang; he told me." He added shortly after.

Asahi fell silent; so Aang had told Zuko about what had happened. She should have expected as much, considering their bond, but still… she was a little embarrassed by her behaviour earlier on.

"It's no big deal, really." She finally said. "And Aang was a great help; he's such a good guy." She sighed.

"He is." Zuko agreed and Asahi stared at him. "What?" He asked grumpily.

"Nothing… it's just that you surprised me; complimenting Aang like that."

"What? Why?" He looked confused.

"I don't know." She sat down on her bed. "Somehow I didn't take you as someone who easily compliments others."

"I don't." He answered shortly, which made Asahi smile.

"I see." She stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath in. "Well, then, I'll go say goodbye to Ran and Shaw. You wanna come along?" She faced him again and looked into a troubled face.

"Uhm… err… somehow… not really." He admitted and shrugged. Asahi chuckled. How honest he was tonight.

"That's fine." She had wished for some time alone with her foster parents after all.

"I'll go join Aang and the others." He said.

"Well, good luck with that." She smirked and he creased his eyebrows.

"Why?"

"The girls planned to drag Toph – who has done nothing but play with dirt ever since we've arrived, really – to one of the natural hot springs around here. So it'll be a boys' night in tonight."

"Boys' night in, hah?" He didn't look too pleased, but Asahi knew that Zuko didn't really mind Sokka's and Aang's company.

…

When Asahi and Zuko parted, her taking Pyro along for once, he was unsure of what to do. He had a weird suspicion that he was in for some "Old Mate Talk" as Sokka called it and he wasn't sure whether he was up for it after the day he'd had. But, considering his other options, he reluctantly went to look for Aang and Sokka.

"Ah, there he his!" Sokka exclaimed as he joined them at the dining hall.

"Zuko." Aang smiled pleasantly. Looking at him, Zuko couldn't quite believe that they were once sworn enemies. Asahi had been right; fate was a funny thing.

"The girls are away tonight, so it's a night off for us." Sokka explained the obvious.

"Yeah, I know." Zuko answered. "Asahi told me earlier." He added as Sokka cast him a confused expression.

"Ah, you met with your girl earlier?" Sokka asked with a cheeky grin and wiggled his eyebrows. Zuko sighed; just what he had suspected.

"She's not my girl, Sokka." He retorted.

"Oh, but I'm sure you'd much rather she would be!" His friend exclaimed, still grinning.

"Sokka!" Aang reprimanded him, though he looked just as curious.

"Seriously guys, I just want to have a quiet dinner here, is that possible?" Zuko asked them with a serious expression. He knew he probably wouldn't get away with it tonight, but he'd much rather talk about Asahi in a quieter place than the Temple's dining hall.

"Wha-" Sokka started, but Aang interjected.

"Sure, have a nice dinner, Zuko." He said and smiled, this time a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We can talk later." His smile was a tad scary.

"Ohhhh." Sokka made, getting the hint. "Yeah, later."

…

Asahi entered the Dragons' cave without hesitation, this time knowing that her foster parents were genuinely proud of her. Obviously, she liked Zuko's company, but somehow she was grateful to just spend some time with Ran, Shaw and Pyro on her own.

…

"Are you going to stick to me all night?" Zuko asked, as he had tried to rid himself of Sokka's wiggly-eyed presence in vain.

"Of course!" The boy exclaimed. "After all, the girls aren't here and you are becoming rather interesting."

Interesting; was that a word used to describe a person? Zuko sighed, sitting down on one of the chairs in his chamber, where the other two had followed him to.

"We don't intend to let you get away." Aang agreed and took a seat himself.

"Get away? With what?" He tried, at least, to feign ignorance.

"Oh, please, man." Sokka said. "You're in for some Old Mate Talk."

Zuko rolled his eyes; he'd known!

"Go ahead." He then said. "Talk to your old mates." He took a relaxed pose, trying not to seem too tense.

"You know, you might be Firelord, and Aang might be the Avatar." Sokka gestured towards the Aribender. "But with just the three of us it's just like old times. Of course, Aang was already the Avatar back then. Just not as Avatar-ish." He shrugged and Aang furrowed his eyebrows.

"Not as Avatar-ish?" He asked, slightly offended.

"Yeah, you kinda messed up sometimes."

"Did not!" The Avatar defended himself.

"So did! Remember when we got that horrible cold and you actually went and got captured by Xiao? Zuko had to break you out!" Now Sokka pointed at Zuko.

"He's right." He said, finding some amusement in teasing Aang.

"Oh, please, if I hadn't saved you, Xiao would have probably killed you!" Aang exclaimed, remembering the story.

"I guess we all messed up sometimes back then." Zuko agreed.

"When did I ever mess up?!" Sokka protested but fell silent when both Aang and Zuko shot him a meaningful look.

"Speaking about messing up…" Aang started. "I think that you messed up pretty badly yesterday, huh? Asahi seemed kinda angry, pushing you against the wall and all."

"You saw?!" Surprised and ashamed, Zuko sat up straight in his chair.

"Zuko, you and Asahi are our entertainment program." Sokka confessed.

"I don't believe you!" Exasperated, Zuko threw his hands in the air. "There's this thing called privacy!"

"Yeah… that doesn't exist; sorry." Sokka smirked.

"You're unbelievable…" He repeated.

"Don't be mad, Zuko." Aang said. "We just want you to be happy. And if assisting in your trial for love helps achieve that goal, we're willing to go far enough." He added nonchalantly.

"What trial for love? I'd be happy enough if you could just leave me alone!" Zuko grunted.

"You might be able to fool yourself, Zuko, but you can't fool us." Sokka said calmly. "We can tell that you're in love with Asahi."

"I appreciate her, respect her and am thankful for her presence. But love her? I don't think so. Now either we talk about something else, or you can spend your night lamenting your loneliness without your girlfriends alone!"


	30. Chapter 30

Asahi woke up as she felt someone nudging her shoulder. Her eyelids were still heavy, so she blinked a few times before she came to. Looking around, she realised that she had spent the night in the Dragons' Cavern, chatting and snuggling with her Dragons all night long.

"G'morning, everybody." She murmured, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

_Asa-mama, we need to get going._ Pyro reminded her gently.

"Going? Where to?" Her brain was still a bit fuzzy and the gentle orange light that lit up the cave was no help in waking her.

_To Zu-papa and the others, of course! We're returning today, remember?_ Pyro sounded as if he was talking to an infant and slowly her brain cells started working again.

"Oh, of course!" She sat up straight, an action that rose Ran and Shaw from their peaceful slumber.

_Pyro, Little, stop making such a commotion._ Ran reprimanded them gently.

"Ran, Shaw, it's morning already." Asahi explained; the two of them seemed to have a rather distorted conception of time. "Pyro and I need to leave."

_You're right._ Shaw agreed and closed in on them, watching her closely.

"…what?" Asahi asked after a few moments of silence.

_Take care, Little Dragon. _He finally said. _Be healthy and happy; and protect your heart._

"I-I…" Asahi stammered, blushing furiously. "I will." She mumbled, pouting; she knew that the Dragons suspected her feelings for Zuko, but they hadn't talked about it so far.

_Return home soon, Little. Pyro, live strong; you're our representative in the world beyond._ Ran emphasized. She had a strong understanding of honour.

_I'll be strong and brave and proud!_ Pyro exclaimed.

_So be it._ Shaw touched his son's snout with his own.

"Ran, Shaw, I promise I'll come home. For now, I'll take my leave. I'll see you both soon!" And thus, Asahi turned around, jogging towards the exit, not looking back, as she was horrible at dealing with good-byes.

…

"Now then, is everyone ready?" Katara asked Zuko and the others. They all agreed; having gathered at the Temple's entrance, the Gaang was surrounded by some of the Sun Warriors they had befriended, their chief, his daughter Siah and, of course, Han. Zuko tried his best to keep himself from starting yet another fight with Han, careful not to become an insult for Asahi again.

Pyro was flying way above them in the air, casting a rueful glance at the Dragons' Mountain.

"Thank you for everything, chief." Asahi said as she bowed respectfully to the Elder.

"Oh, please, Lady Asahi." He answered. "You know that you will always be welcome at our Temple."

Zuko watched as Asahi's face softened and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Man, you're really leaving again!" Han complained in a loud voice, standing awfully close to Asahi. She just chuckled and tenderly touched his cheek.

"Don't pout, Han. I'll return home as soon as my mission has ended." She told him and Zuko clenched his fists. That wasn't going to happen soon, he'd make sure of that.

"Still, I'll miss you!" Han threw his arms around her and she reciprocated the gesture with equal affection.

"I'll miss you, too." Her voice was gentle; Zuko could feel anger climb up his back.

"We really have to leave now!" He announced, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You don't have to shout, Zuko, we're not deaf." Toph commented and he could feel his face redden slightly.

"Just saying." He pressed through his teeth.

"Gee, someone's in a good mood." The Earthbender picked her teeth nonchalantly. Zuko grew ever angrier, but just before he exploded, Asahi was by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go." She said, smiling brightly and almost immediately he could feel his anger subside. "Goodbye, everyone!" She waved to the crowd one last time, the turned around and left, the GAang following right after her.

…

"I can't believe we'll be returning to our normal lives soon." Sokka admitted as they sat around the campfire. They had covered quite some distance during the day and were now taking the rest they needed and deserved.

"Your life might be normal, but ours aren't." Toph smirked as she teased him.

"What? How can you say that?" His voice went up a pitch.

"Aang's the Avatar, Katara his girlfriend and a master Waterbender, Zuko's Firelord, Suki is his bodyguard, Asahi is a Dragonlord and lastly I am the greatest Earthbending teacher in the world. You're just Sokka, the guy with the boomerang." Toph snickered.

"Don't insult Boomerang!" Sokka exclaimed. "My boomerang has saved us countless times in the past!"

"Like when? When you hacked up the woods in the swamp?" Katara asked, taking her turn in teasing her brother.

"Remember Combustion Man? Boomerang saved us all back then!" Sokka waved the item in the air.

"Actually, he did have a different name…" Zuko interjected, but as everyone stared at him, irritated, he mumbled "Nevermind." and glanced on the ground.

"Gee, Zuko, sorry for not remembering the name of the Firebending assassin you set on us. I'm sure we're hurting his feelings." Toph commented.

Asahi was watching their little jest with growing amusement. She loved the way the group interacted with each other. Even though there were times when they were bickering constantly, one could feel the affection they each held for another. She couldn't help but chuckle and was taken slightly aback when she found them all staring at her.

"…what?" She asked, suddenly feeling insecure.

"You're laughing at us?" Suki asked, but she sounded more curious than offended.

"Not really laughing at you. It's more… I thought how great friends you all must be and I thought that it's funny how you tease each other when it's so obvious that all of you would fight to the death for any of you." She explained, blunt as ever. She cast them a surprised glance when they all blushed in their own, unique way, but then smiled widely. "Oops, looks like I stepped on a landmine, huh?"

…

Later, inside the tent (Pyro was now ordered to sleep outside by himself, due to his size) Zuko and Asahi each laid on the side, pillowing their heads with their arms as they talked in a low voice.

"Did you say a proper goodbye to Ran and Shaw?" Zuko asked; seeing her interaction with the dragons he thought that leaving them behind must have been kind of tough on her.

"I did." She said, smiling warmly as she was remembering them.

"Good." He fell silent. He really wanted to say something, anything really, but couldn't find any words. They silently stared at each other for a few seconds, then Asahi turned on her back and looked up at the tent's ceiling.

"I…" She began, only to stop again.

"Yes…?" Zuko asked, encouraging her to keep talking.

"I wanted to thank you for doing this." She finally said.

"Doing what?" He had no idea what would make her thank him.

"This trip. Taking the chance to visit the Sun Warriors, Ran and Shaw, and, equally as important, trying to really find some balance…" Her voice trailed off.

Feeling a little embarrassed by her last words, Zuko mumbled:

"It's nothing… actually, I'm the one who's grateful. You have provided me with a great opportunity and I would have been a fool not to grasp it." He explained.

"I see." She said and he thought that he could hear a smile in these words.


	31. Chapter 31

_Hey there, everyone, Chapgirl here! Whew, chapter 31 already; never thought I would get that far. Okay, I realise my chapters are kinda short, but it's the way I write and I hope you can cope with that ;-) Thank you all for your support and the great reviews, that really keeps me going. By the way, my OC's name, Asahi (pronunciation on the last syllable) has nothing to do with Korra's Asami. Asahi means sunrise in Japanese, that's why I named her that. Anyway, let's continue with their story, shall we?_

"Seriously, how did people get by without a flying Bison?" Aang complained as he dry-bent his clothes. He and Katara helped the others as well and at least they were warm and dry.

"I know the feeling." Asahi sighed, running her fingers through her messed-up hair. "Once you rode on a Dragon, you never want to do anything else." Pyro, now even larger than before, had sought shelter in a nearby forest.

"I did fly by Dragon once; Roku's Dragon, in the spirit world." Aang told her and she felt excited.

"Oh, really? Did you like it?" Asahi was curious to the bone when it came to her favourite topic.

"I did." He agreed pleasantly. "But Appa's still the best."

"Well I never travelled by Flying Bison, so I guess I can't compare." She chuckled as they all took a seat around a round wooden table.

"Trust me, it's not that great." Toph sad, a sour look on her face.

"I always thought Appa was faster." Zuko added, remembering himself chasing Aang and the others. "But the view's great." He shrugged and earned an "Idiot"-excpression from Toph who waved her fingers in front of her blind eyes. "Oh, sorry Toph." He apologised sheepishly.

"Say, now that we're here, why don't we grab a bite?" Sokka suggested, changing the topic drastically.

"Don't tell me you're hungry!" Katara sighed.

"It's almost midday!" Her brother defended himself.

"Well, if you want to eat." Suki shrugged and earned a gleeful peck on the cheek by her boyfriend.

"This girl's the best!" He declared and looked around, as to get approval from everybody.

"I don't know Sokka." Aang said while lowering his voice. "Are you sure you want to eat in_ here_?" He let his eyes trace the shady room. It was indeed a bit dirty and cheap, but it had been the only place around.

"Don't worry!" Sokka said, hitting his friend on the back. "I'm sure the food's great."

So everyone ordered a meal and Sokka and Suki went off to the bar to place the order and get some drinks for them.

"Wow, this place sure looks shady, huh?" Katara said while edging a little closer to Aang.

"I feel comfortable." Toph announced, earning worried looks from the group.

"I don't really mind." Asahi said calmly. "I've seen worse, believe me." And she had. Journeying alone as a single girl had been a challenge.

"Seriously? Weren't you scared?" Zuko looked at her, baffled.

"Not really." She answered. "First of all, I pretended to be a boy for as long as possible. It's easier like that." She explained when everyone stared at her, flabbergasted. "And when you start to get used to it, it becomes normal." She shrugged.

"You didn't tell me you dressed up as a boy." Zuko still looked at her as if he'd just been slapped in the face. She furrowed her eyebrows, slightly irritated.

"It's not a big deal, Zuko. I guess I just forgot."

He didn't look satisfied with her answer but they dropped the topic when Sokka and Suki returned, drinks in hand.

"The owner's pretty nice." Sokka told them as he sat down.

"I don't know, Sokka." Suki commented. "I think he mocked you; I was close to beating him up."

Asahi smiled, watching Sokka trying to explain that the pub's owner had indeed not mocked them. The pub's door opened and another group of people entered. Asahi watched them, relaxed, as they took a seat at the far side of the room. They were three middle-aged men, all looking weary-faced and tired. One of them got up, probably to get something to drink, and another one called out to him, to order a special drink.

Asahi froze as she recognised the voice. All of a sudden, her entire body started shaking and she suppressed the dire need to cover her ears and scream.

"Hey, everyone." She slowly pressed through her teeth. "Let's leave."

They turned towards her and Sokka looked irritated.

"What? We just ordered food." He said.

"Sokka's right, Asahi." Katara agreed, then her expression changed to worried. "Hey, is everything all right?"

"Yes, no, I just…" Asahi mumbled as a cold crept up her spine so intensely she started feeling sick. "I just want to leave."

She got to her feet, turned away from them blindly and hurried for the exit.

…

Zuko watched as Asahi got up and left, not responding to any of them. Immediately, he followed her and he could hear the others behind him as well.

"Asahi?!" Katara called out after her friend.

"What's going on?!" Aang exclaimed as they ran outside into the pouring rain.

"I don't know, but she was shivering badly." Toph said, her usual, mocking tone now replaced by a seriously worried one.

Zuko's heartbeat sped up, as he followed Asahi's small figure deeper into the forest where Pyro was resting. She had been so utterly pale, looked so strangely haunted. Somehow, in her panic, she was running much faster than them and they weren't gaining on her. Zuko willed his feet to go even faster, to catch up to her. Suddenly, he saw her stumble and fall down and contrary to his expectations, she didn't get up again. He ceased to notice anything else around him and just hurried to her side, panting heavily when he reached her. His chest tightened when he found her lying on the ground, sobbing loudly, a painful expression on her face.

"Asahi!" He put his arm around her shoulders and helped her sit up. All strength seemed to have left her, and she was looking blankly into his eyes. His voice trembled, as he was overcome with a strange fear. "Asahi, what's wrong?! Tell us what's going on."

The rest of the GAang had arrived as well and was squatting down around her, all carrying worried expressions.

"…sin." Asahi's words were barely audible through her sobs.

"What?" Zuko edged a little closer towards her, eager to help, or simply to understand her reaction.

"Her cousin." She said, this time, a little clearer.

"Who's cousin?" Sokka asked, but Zuko had a cold suspicion.

"The guy… who just entered…" Her body shook with another wave of despair. "He's… my mother's…" Her voice died off; but Zuko had already figured what she was talking about. A white hot rage took over his body, and slowly he turned to his friends.

"Katara." He said, and she hurried to his side. "Take care of Asahi."

She nodded and took over as Zuko got to his feet.

"Zuko, what's going on?" Aang had put a hand on his shoulder, looking confused.

"One of the men who just entered was Asahi's mother's cousin." He pressed through his teeth. "The one who betrayed her father and had him hunted down." And with that, he started running, darting through the soppy woods, losing sight of anything beside his own emotions. He crashed into the pub, approaching the table of the three middle-aged men, building himself up in front of them. Slowly, they looked up, eyebrows raised.

"…yes?" One of them asked, an annoyed ring to his voice.

"Which one of you is Len Zhu?" Zuko growled, not averting his gaze from them.

The tallest of the three got up, looking irritated.

"That's me. And you are…?"

But Zuko simply attacked. He released a firestorm on his enemy only to find out that the other man seemed to be quite a skilled Firebender himself.

"Hey!" Len Zhu shouted. "I don't know what your problem is, but don't get so cocky!"

He shot out some powerful flames and Zuko, who could barely evade them inside the pub, went outside just to have the three men follow them.

"Zuko! Hey!" Outside, Aang and Sokka had caught up with him, but he didn't care for them. He simply kept fighting Len Zhu.

"Bashful kid! I'll teach ya to attack Elders!" One of the other two men started confronting him and Zuko readied himself two a two-on-one, but Aang interfered.

"I'll be your enemy for now." He said, facing the other Firebender.

"And I'll deal with you!" Sokka threw his boomerang in the direction of the third member of Len Zhu's party.

All of that was only at the edge of Zuko's attention, as he was furiously fighting Asahi's father's murderer. Their battle heated up, but Zuko was younger and more agile, and in the end, he hit him with a powerful Fire Kick. Len Zhu fell to the ground, looking frightened as Zuko towered up above him, raising his fire-engulfed fist.

"This is for Asahi!" He shot his fist down on his enemy's face, just to stop at the least second, due to a hand holding on to his wrist. He traced the hand to it's owner only to stare into Aang's angry, glowing eyes.

"Firelord Zuko." The Avatar said in a threatening voice. "I dare you to kill this man. But don't expect me to show you any mercy if you do!"

Zuko kept staring at Aang in his Avatar state, when all of a sudden his entire energy seemed to leave him, his knees gave in and he slumped to the ground, beating the earth with his fists.

"Damn!" He shouted his face filled with despair; he didn't want to be that kind of Firelord.

"Len Zhu." The glow in Aangs eyes slowly subsided as he secured the man with earthen shackles. "You're under arrest for betrayal and murder. You shall be taken in front of a tribunal and they will determine your fate."


	32. Chapter 32

Zuko, Sokka and Aang returned to the rest of the group after having dropped off Len Zhu and his companions at the local police.

Zuko had felt horrible the entire way and Aang's and Sokka's heavy silence hadn't helped. They found Asahi surrounded by the girls and Pyro in a cavern, a warming fire burning inside.

"Aang, Sokka, Zuko! Thank god you're back!" Katara came running towards them, taking Aangs hand.

"How is she?" Aang asked in a low voice, but Katara just shook her head.

A new wave of panic rushing through his body, Zuko approached Asahi. Looking up, the girls' eyes filled with tears and she knocked him onto the ground as she flung herself against him.

"Zuko!" She exclaimed, tightly grabbing his shirt, and started sobbing yet again.

"Hey, hey." He said in a low voice and tenderly ran his fingers through her hair as he closed his other arm around her. She was so tiny, so fragile in his arms, looking so pained. Zuko's chest tightened and he was suddenly glad again, that he had attacked Len Zhu the way he had. "It's all over now. We got him." He leaned his cheek against her soft mane.

"Zuko…" Asahi whispered again, seemingly unable to say anything else.

"Let's give them some space." He heard Suki say; he had completely forgotten about the others but was glad they were leaving.

The two of them stayed in this position for a while and slowly Asahi's sobs subsided. She eased away from him carefully, looking up from big, red eyes.

"You… got him?" She asked and he nodded.

"He'll get a proper penalty." He said. Asahi sat back, leaning against Pyro who, against the others' efforts, had stayed beside them silently all along.

"I… lied." She said and looked down on her clasped hands.

"… about what?" Zuko asked calmly. He was sure that he hadn't gotten the wrong person earlier.

"I told you before that my father sent me off into the mountains when he was…" Her voice died off.

"You don't have to talk about this!" Zuko said quickly as he could feel a much heavier topic approaching.

"No, I… I must." She insisted, while raising her head to look into his eyes.

…

"I did run towards the mountains back then…" Asahi began. "But soon, I became extremely scared and worried and so I returned. The hut that we stayed at during that time was old and the walls had many holes…" She closed her eyes, remembering the scene. "I hid outside while peeping through one of those holes." She could see it all, her father, pressed against the wall by a soldier, her mother's cousin, standing a bit further away, laughing.

"Did you think you could run away from _me_?!" He'd asked, a cold, mean look in his eyes. "I, the great Len Zhu, who had to settle with a plain noblewoman because you stole my girl?!" His eyes had narrowed and Asahi's heartbeat had sped up. "But now you'll get your divine punishment, Long Huo, last of the Dragonlords!" He had kept laughing hysterically as my father's heart was pierced with the soldier's dagger. In his last breath, he had murmured something that no one had noticed. No one but Asahi herself, standing outside, unable to move, as she had watched her father die.

"_I'm so sorry, Asa._"

…

"You saw you father…?" Zuko asked, not able to finish the sentence. He couldn't believe it. Asahi nodded slowly.

"Afterwards I hid in the mountains, just as my father had told me and when I returned, all of them had left, taking my father's body with them."

She hugged her knees and Zuko felt desperate to console her.

"I… I don't know what to say." He admitted.

"You don't have to say anything." She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I burdened you with such a story, but I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. Sorry, Pyro." She turned towards the Dragon.

_Why would you be sorry? I'd gladly rip off that traitor's head if I ever get to see him. _Pyro answered in a growl. Zuko closed his eyes, thinking about what he'd done before.

"I almost killed him." He told her and she stared at him, wide-eyed.

"…what?"

"I almost killed Len Zhu. If not for Aang, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself." He smiled painfully. "Even if he deserved it, that's not like me."

He looked to the ground and his eyes widened in surprise as he felt Asahi's arms close around him once more.

"Thank you." She simply said and with just that, lifted his spirits.

…

"I'm so sorry!" Asahi bowed in shame in front of the Gang, then cast Zuko a sideway glance and pushed him down with her hand. "You apologise, too, Zuko!" She lectured him.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, quickly raising his head again.

"Don't worry about it, Asahi!" Katara fussed around her.

"Yeah, we're just glad you're all better!" Aang explained.

"We caused a lot of trouble." Asahi admitted in a low voice and sighed.

"No, it's fine." Sokka said. "We've seen worse."

"True." Toph commented. "And, besides, at least you didn't try to kill us or set an assassin after us."

Obviously, that was a direct hit in Zuko's direction.

"Seriously, Toph? After three years, don't you think this is getting old?" He asked in an annoyed voice.

"Nah, not really." She shrugged and turned around. "So, anyway, shall we keep going?"

The sky had cleared and a gentle afternoon sun was spending them some warmth.

"I guess that would be better." Katara watched Asahi awkwardly.

"I agree. Geez, Katara, really, I'm fine." She added when the Waterbender's eyes were still filled with worry. "Seriously, guys, if you all keep looking at me like that, I'll have get Pyro you bite off your faces." She rolled her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment over what had happened. She wasn't proud of her reaction to her father's murderer, but she couldn't have helped it. Hearing his voice had just turned her into the helpless little girl again, desperate to save her father's life, but unable to do anything.

At night in their tent, Asahi purposely tuned away from Zuko. Even more than her running away, remembering the way she'd clung to him, she could feel her face burn up. It was a miracle that she hadn't given away her feelings for him. Luckily, Zuko hadn't asked twice about her actions and their little cave seen was cast away in silence, never to be mentioned again, if she could help it.


	33. Chapter 33

They continued their journey back, walking alongside in peace. More so, Asahi would say it was uneventful. Her break-down had cast a shadow over the group's mood that could hardly be erased. Though they all tried to appear cheerful and happy, she could sense the underlying worry and care. She found it sweet how much they cared for her, considering the short amount of time they'd known each other, but still, she hated being the cause of their downcast faces. One evening, while they were setting up their camp for the night, Asahi saw Aang and Zuko disappear together, solemn expressions on their faces. She knew that they were probably going to talk in silence, but she was too curious to let that thought hinder her actions. She excused herself, saying that she wanted to be alone; nobody from the GAang objected, as they were all very lenient on her ever since the incident.

Silently, she followed the two of them and hid behind a rock, when they came to a halt in a deserted area. She sat down and listened to their talk.

…

"So, what did you want to talk about so suddenly?" Zuko asked; he had a hunch, but he'd rather not talk about it at all.

"It's not so sudden at all." Aang admitted, looking awfully serious. He cast him a concerned glance, then his eyes wandered off into the distance. "I'm worried." He said after a while.

"Worried about what?" He tried to be all innocent once again, but Aangs expression let him fall silent. "I'm alright." Zuko sighed and followed Aangs gaze, wondering if he was actually seeing something on the horizon.

"I'm not sure about that." Aang answered, now turning his attention to Zuko alone. "You really clicked back then." His eyes seemed to pierce Zuko's heart and he was all but annoyed with it.

"Well, you saw her face!" He exclaimed angrily. "What should I have done?!" He demanded to know, for a loss of excuses.

"You should _not _have tried to kill him." Aang said in a stern voice. "Don't fall back into your old behaviour, Zuko." He warned.

"I freaked out, I'm sorry!" He threw his hands in the air in exasperation, then let them fall back down, his anger suddenly leaving him to be replaced by bitterness. "I don't know what happened." He admitted weakly. And he was speaking the truth. Once Aang had grabbed his wrist in the fight, it was as if he was coming back from a distant dream.

"Zuko, I know that you didn't actually want to do something bad, and I know what Asahi means to you-" Aang started, but Zuko interjected.

"Don't even go there, Aang!" He warned. "I am tired to tell you that I do not see her that way!"

"… alright, if you say so." Aang agreed reluctantly. "However, just be more careful not to lose control anymore, okay?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Zuko sighed, casting his gaze to the ground.

"You know I will." He raised his head again and looked straight into Aangs eyes, who nodded silently. Together, they made their way back to the camp.

…

Behind her rock, Asahi had clasped both her hands in front of her mouth, so that her sobs would remain inside her. She could feel hot tears streaming down her cheeks and became awfully angry with herself.

_Of course_ he didn't see her that way. She didn't want him to! Her mission of raising Pyro properly had priority over everything else. Still, she couldn't deny the hurt in her chest as Zuko's words echoed over and over in her mind: "You know I don't see her that way!"

…

Zuko and Aang arrived at the camp, only to realise that Asahi wasn't there. A sudden panic crept over Zuko's back, as he turned to Katara.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Who? Asahi? She's off somewhere." The waterbender shrugged. "She said she wanted to be alone, so we let her be alone."

As so often since the incident, Katara's eyes glazed over with sympathy for the Dragonlord. She knew the pain of losing a parent and had seeked revenge for her mother's death for a long time, but after facing the murderer, had come to peace with herself.

"You can't let her go off by herself!" Zuko exclaimed angrily. "Who knows what will happen to her out there, all alone."

"But, I- " Katara started, taken aback by the intensity of his words.

"Nothing will happen. I'm not that weak."

Zuko whirled around and found Asahi approaching him calmly. Something about her appearance was off, but he wasn't sure, what. She joined the two of them, basically ignoring him.

"Say, Katara, would it b okay to share a tent with you tonight?" She asked her friend.

"What?!" Zuko faced her, shocked by her request, but she didn't react.

"Please." She added intently as Katara hesitated.

"Um, sure, of course." She glanced over to Aang, who looked just as surprised, but he nodded.

"Well, thanks. Anyway, guys, I'll roam around with Pyro for a bit, so don't mind my absence. Don't worry." She added as Katara opened her mouth to object. "I'll be back by nightfall."

And off she went, leaving them all behind, astounded and speechless.

…

Asahi found Pyro having dinner over the dead body of some kind of animal. Living with Dragons for a long time, she was used to carcasses and didn't mind it.

_Asa-mama? _Pyro asked. _What's wrong?_

She never joined him on his hunts and so he worried. It was sweet how much of a human a Dragon could be.

"Nothing much." She said and smiled warmly. "I just don't feel like human company tonight." She admitted. More like, she didn't feel like being close to Zuko, but she didn't want Pyro to know. It would be better to let him believe that everything was fine between them. She cursed her own, weak heart for being unable to separate her job from her emotions.

_Hm._ Pyro mustered her curiously, then seemed to have come to a conclusion. _Do you want to fly? _He asked and Asahi's heart skipped a beat.

"…what?" She asked, unsure if he had realised what he was saying.

_I was asking whether you want to take a flight with me. _He explained slowly, in a tone that indicated her goofiness.

"Of, of course!" She exclaimed quickly, more than happy to be granted such an opportunity. "But, will you be alright?" She asked. Pyro had grown big enough to carry a human, but it considered some strength and a good balance for him to be able to fly with her on his back.

_I don't know. _He admitted sheepishly. _But I'll never know if I don't try now, will I?_

Asahi chuckled at his explanation and agreed. Pyro finished his meal and then Asahi climbed on his back. Pyro made a noise very close to "oof" and Asahi looked down on him, worried.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

_I'm fine! _Pyro stated. _It's just a bit of an unusual feeling._

"Take you time, okay?" She reassured him, unwilling to let him take a risk.

_It's fine I said. _He answered, though his voice was soft. _Hold on tight now! _And he shot off into the sky.

Asahi squealed as they approached the orange sky, and grabbed his scales tightly. At first, the ride was a bit wobbly, but after a few moments, Pyro got used to her weight on his back, and they flew off into a beautifully setting sun. For once, Asahi's heart wasn't concerned with Zuko at all. She sighed, and hugged Pyro tighter as she relaxed herself and drifted off into a pleasant daydream.


	34. Chapter 34

Zuko sighed; he and the GAang were gathered around the campfire and darkness was almost there. He worried because neither Asahi nor Pyro had returned yet. Also, he was puzzled by Asahi's sudden wish to share her tent with Katara. Had he done something to offend her? He sighed again.

"Oh, look, Zuko's reverting to his old, gloomy self." Sokka commented. Zuko shot him an angry look.

"Shut up." He demanded. He wasn't in for jokes on his head right now.

"He's just grumpy because _someone _isn't here." Toph smirked and he squinted his eyes.

"Leave me alone." He told her.

"You don't have to be so unfriendly, you know." Katara said calmly. She was snuggled against Aang and their happiness annoyed him.

"Well, excuse me for my character!" He raised his voice a bit and got to his feet. Staying with them wouldn't do anything for him right now.

"Where are you going?" Suki asked; her years as his bodyguard had trained her to be attentive towards him.

"I'm going to look for Asahi." He explained shortly. "She said she'd be back by nightfall."

"She is!" Aang suddenly claimed and Zuko furrowed his eyebrows. "Up there!" Aang pointed toward the horizon and indeed, Pyro was approaching, carrying a happy Asahi on his back. Pyro landed skilfully a few feet from their camp, so as not to put out the fire with his wings. Asahi descended and jogged over to them, but not before giving Pyro a gentle hug.

"Asahi!" Zuko approached her, but she just brushed past him. Zuko tensed; what was wrong with her?

"You rode Pyro?!" Aang interjected before Zuko could say anything. He must have seen him stiffen.

"I did!" Her voice was high from excitement. "It was amazing!"

Zuko wanted to get closer to her again, but Suki and Katara had already flocked around her.

"So is this, like, his release into adulthood?" Suki asked but Asahi laughed.

"No way!" She exclaimed. "But it's a good step toward it!"

Zuko eyed Pyro carefully. He edged towards him, away from the others, who had all gathered around the Dragonlord.

"Be careful, Pyro!" He whispered. He didn't want anyone to notice that he could converse with his dragon. "Don't develop so fast, or Asahi will leave!"

_Don't worry. She doesn't even know about __**this**__. _Pyro whispered back, indicating their conversation.

"Still…" Zuko answered, letting his eyes follow Asahi. She looked elated, somehow, happier than before she'd left. But she still hadn't faced him at all. That fact shouldn't change the entire evening. Until they all went to sleep, she hadn't looked into his eyes properly even once. Zuko fell asleep beside Aang, brooding over the current situation.

…

In their tent, Katara eyed Asahi suspiciously. Due to the others' company, she had had her peace until then. But now, with just the two of them, the waterbender was sure to ask her about her request to change tents. Asahi was lying on her back, desperate to evade the topic, but Katara faced her, lying on the side, watching her silently.

"You know…" Asahi said after a while. "Your staring makes me itchy." She admitted.

"I'm not staring." Katara stated. "Just wondering."

"Uh-huh." Maybe, _maybe_, she wouldn't ask.

"Why did you want to change tents so suddenly?"

Damnit.

"No reason." Asahi lied, not even convincing herself.

"That's not true." Katara said. Double damn.

"Well, maybe there is a reason." She finally admitted, but said nothing further.

"So?" Her friend asked impatiently when Asahi didn't continue.

"So… I was thinking that I need to keep some distance from Zuko." She explained, trying to leave her voice calm and reasonable.

"Keep your distance? Why would you want to do that?"

Asahi felt uncomfortable. Not only was she hesitant to admit that she had spied on Aang and Zuko, but furthermore, she didn't want to repeat Zuko's words.

"I think that attaching myself too much, emotionally, to him, might cause a problem in the future; when I have to leave Pyro and him." Her chest tightened at the thought and she swallowed hard.

"I told you once and I'll tell you again: I'm sure Zuko will happily accept you to stay at the Fire palace. I believe that he truly loves you."

"No, he doesn't!" Asahi quickly exclaimed, maybe with a little too much intensity, as Katara now stared at her, wide eyed. "He doesn't." She repeated as she felt tears fill her eyes. She quickly turned away from Katara and added: "Now, please, let us sleep."

"Hm." Katara did stay silent after that, but Asahi couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched the entire night.

…

They continued their travels after that night, the same procedure repeating itself every day. Asahi would teach Zuko in the morning, studying with him one of the most basic dance procedures, then stay around Katara and Suki. She was awfully cold and distant toward him, which annoyed him measurably, but he never had the chance to say anything. At night, she would fly off with Pyro somewhere, never inviting him to join in, and she never shared his tent again.

After a few days they finally arrived at the Fire palace. Zuko wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or worried about returning to his everyday life as Firelord, but he sure was happy to see his uncle.

"Dear nephew!" Iroh closed his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Zuko was never aware that he had needed another human's warmth so much. Until Asahi had distanced herself from him, he hadn't even realised how much he would miss it.

"Uncle. I'm glad to see you." He said gently. "Here, for you." He gave him the tea leaves that the Sun Warriors had offered him for his uncle.

"Oh, marvellous"! Iroh looked extremely happy over the leaves. Zuko had never understood his love for tea, but he smiled at Iroh's excitement.

"General Iroh." Asahi bowed to his uncle respectfully, granting him a warm smile that she had ceased to use on Zuko.

"Dear Asahi, I told you to call me Iroh." He answered, smiling and putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn't evade Iroh's touch, as she so often did now when Zuko tried to touch her.

"Have you been well?" She asked and Iroh laughed.

"I may be old, but I'm still very healthy." He told her. "There's no reason to worry."

"General." Aang and the rest of the group greeted his uncle. "Thank you for helping out for so long."

"Avatar, it has been a pleasure. Will you all stay for dinner?" He asked them. It was still afternoon, and they all looked at each other until Toph said:

"I would love to have a cup of your tea, but I'm afraid that my students might have burned down my school. I want to hurry back as quickly as possible." She said; it seemed that she had missed her three students tremendously. Toph was always in for a good surprise, Zuko judged.

"Of course, I understand." Iroh answered. "But please visit us soon. I want to get an opportunity to brew this wonderful tea." He raised his bag of tea leaves.

"You bet I will!" Toph exclaimed, then used her special ground-moving technique to leave the rest of them behind.

"She's like a whirlwind, don't you think?" Suki smiled and looked at Toph's trail.

"A true free spirit." Asahi agreed.

"And the rest of you?" Iroh looked around. "Care for dinner."

"Sadly, we must also decline." Katara said as Sokka was about to give in to his invitation.

"Katara!" He complained, then shot Suki a rueful look. "Can't we stay?"

"We promised GranGran to visit her as soon as we got back!" Katara exclaimed. "Do you want to tell her that we're late because you couldn't part from Suki?" She raised her eyebrows and saw her brother swallow. Then Sokka turned to Suki and hugged her tightly. She just laughed and patted his head.

"It's alright, Sokka." She said. "It's not like this goodbye is forever."

Zuko glanced towards Asahi. Their goodbye would be forever.

Their happy moment was destroyed by a giant flying bison approaching, landing on top of Aang with a grumbling noise.

"Appa!" Aang exclaimed and chuckled. "I missed you, too, buddy."

_Appa has become kind of small. _Pyro said.

"You have grown!" Asahi exclaimed and Zuko caught himself in the act of wanting to join their conversation; but he kept quiet.

_If you say so. _Pyro answered, but still looked doubtful.

Aang, Katara and Sokka mounted Appa and waved as they flew off into the distance. Suki turned towards the three of them.

"Look, I'm here and all, but I'd like to catch up on palace gossip with the others. Would you be very offended if I left?" She asked carefully and Iroh just laughed.

"I have been much more gravely offended in my life." He told her happily. "Go on. You must be wanting to see your colleagues."

Suki nodded quickly and sprinted off.

"So it's just the three of us for dinner, huh?" Iroh asked him and Asahi and they quickly looked at each other. In a split second he thought that Asahi's eyes glazed over, but then she turned to face Iroh again.

"Sure, but that's fine, too, isn't it." She asked. There was the briefest of pauses before the old General answered her.

"Of course." He said, eyeing them just a little longer before turning around. "Let's go and let you settle in again, shall we?"


	35. Chapter 35

Asahi quickly adjusted to their palace life again. She did miss the freedom of travelling, but here, she had the comfort of a rooftop.

She and Suki developed a habit of meeting for lunch and chatting. Zuko trained with her every morning but was ever so busy with his duties, so her time with him was limited. Despite from their Dragon Form dance routine, they practised some more forms and figures from the old Firebenders. She never joined him at night again to tell more stories, but her heart still jumped whenever she was close to him. The fact that she had picked a partner dance close to her routine with Han didn't help.

She felt lonely but all she could do was wait and sit it out until Pyro and Zuko were finally able to communicate. Their slow development together worried her, but then again, she had never witnessed a Dragon's growth process in person before. She decided to just give them more time.

…

An entire month had passed since their return and Zuko hadn't had a word in private with Asahi once. Every time he tried talking to her alone, she made up some lame excuse and left hurriedly. His patience was reaching it's limits when, exactly a month after their arrival, he ordered her into his thrown room. All his servants and Suki were excused and Asahi looked majorly uncomfortable as he studied her closely.

"Wh-what?" She asked and averted his eyes. "Why _order_ me here?" Her voice sounded annoyed.

"Because every time I just _ask_ you to stay and talk, you run away." He explained.

"I don't." She mumbled, but didn't sound very convincing.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, an angry ring to his voice that he wasn't able to eliminate. There was something to Asahi that made him unable to control himself.

"Doing what?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You're avoiding me and treating me coldly. Why?" He looked at her, but couldn't make sense of her expression.

"Why is that a problem?" She asked him back. He stared at her, baffled.

"You told me yourself that we have to get along, for Pyro's sake!" He told her exasperated.

"We are getting along." She said and he raised one eyebrow. "We're not fighting, are we?" She added when Zuko kept casting her a doubtful look.

"We barely talk." He shook his head slightly. This woman was puzzling him.

"Look, Zuko, I'm your teacher, your trainer, your _mentor_, at most." She wandered around the enormous room while she spoke. "We don't have to be _friends_. All I want is for Pyro to grow up healthy." She had now turned away from him completely. Her nonchalant tone made Zuko's anger fire up.

"Why are you acting this way!?" He shouted and regretted his tone immediately as she flinched. "Asahi, I'm sorry." He approached her slowly and carefully put a hand on her shoulder. To his surprise, she didn't remove it.

…

Asahi bit her lip to will her tears from falling from her eyes. Her entire chest hurt and she dug her fingers into her crossed arms. Suddenly ordering her to come to see him, she didn't have a chance to refuse. Now she was standing her, her heart breaking as she tried to convince him that he was nothing more than a student to her. When he put his hand on her shoulder she didn't have the power to move. She thought she was going to break down, when suddenly someone knocked on the throne room's doors. A servant entered and stared at the two of them for a second, then quickly averted his eyes. Asahi shot away from Zuko.

"What?!" The Firelord demanded. "What is it?"

"Um, Firelord Zuko, Sir, you… you have a guest." The servant stuttered.

"A guest?! Why now of all times?!" His voice was full of anger.

"Is that the way you greet your ex-girlfriend?" A woman's voice echoed through the room. Asahi turned towards the door, wide eyed, as a beautiful woman entered. She had jet black hair, don up skilfully and a somewhat sober expression in her face, though she smiled.

"May." Zuko said, looking stunned. Asahi had heard of May, Zuko's ex-girlfriend from the others, but never really thought about her. Suki had told her that she had left him in a fight. Asahi had never expected that May would come visit Zuko again. And, seemingly, he was thinking the same thing.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, focusing on May entirely. Asahi felt a hint of jealousy in her chest.

"What? Can't I visit you? I came to make peace." She added when he still cast her a confused look.

"Peace?" He asked. Asahi wondered whether he had lost his ability to speak and cursed herself for her ugly thoughts.

"Yes, but shouldn't we talk about this more in… private." Now, May finally gave note of having recognised Asahi's presence.

"Hello." Asahi approached her, swallowing her aversion of the other girl. "My name is Asahi."

"Oh, I have heard of you." May said. "I am May. And if you don't mind, I would like to have a word with my ex-boyfriend in private." She said in a cold voice.

"Of course." Asahi smiled just as coldly. "I'll just leave the two of you alone. If you'll excuse me, Firelord." She turned to Zuko, still keeping up her fake smile.

"No, Asahi, you don't-" Zuko started, but Asahi was already heading towards the door. In the frame, she turned around once more.

"Take your time." She said in an icy voice.

As the grand doors closed behind her, she suddenly felt very sick. She started sprinting out of the palace, into the woods behind it. Her lungs hurt as she raced through the hallway and then along the forest path, but her goal was clear and she had to reach it as quickly as possible. She stopped and dropped to her knees when she finally arrived at Pyro's cave. Anger, sadness, jealousy and hurt wallowed up inside her and she silently pressed her face against Pyro's cool scales when the dragon came out to see who caused the commotion around his home. Somehow understanding that she wanted simply his company, but not his advice, he didn't ask her about anything and just silently stayed beside her as hot tears streamed down her face.


	36. Chapter 36

Zuko looked at the doors close, letting his raised hand fall to his side and then turned to May.

"So, why are you _really _here, May?" He asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"You might not believe me." She started while approaching him slowly. "But I actually want to make peace with you." Her voice still sounded as if it had been smoked, but it had matured, _she_ had matured, and despite the bitter way they'd broken up, Zuko still held some affection for her inside his heart.

"Why now, of all times?" He demanded, still on his guard.

"… various reasons." She said and shrugged. "I heard you've changed a bit." She admitted when he obviously wasn't satisfied with her former answer.

"Changed?" Had he?

"Yes. I heard you're more at peace with yourself, most times, and stronger with your position as Firelord." She smiled seductively. "I like that." She put a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes.

"Look, May." Zuko intervened her attentions. "I'm happy you came to make peace, I really am, but I have properly moved on from you now. I think you should know that." And he had. It had been hard at the beginning, but he had come to realise that, even in their past, she had never stood beside him at the very crucial moments of his life. Of course, he'd never let her, but she didn't even guess his actions, never really understood him. It had taken some time for him to see it, but when he had, his heart had suddenly been much lighter.

"I see." She said and dropped her hand. "And there's no moving you?"

"I'm afraid not." He told her. She turned away from him slightly, appearing to brood over something.

"Then is there any chance we can become just normal friends?" She finally asked.

"Well… of course." Zuko answered, though he felt slightly hesitant. "It's always good to find reliable friends."

"That's good." She smiled slightly. "Then let's keep it that way."

…

Asahi's tears slowly subsided as she calmed down in Pyro's presence. She still had her arms around him, but she'd lessened the force of her grip.

_Are you alright now? _Pyro asked, when he noticed the change in her behavior.

"More or less." Asahi snorted slightly thinking about the graceful way that May had carried herself.

_Do you want to talk about it? _

"No, not really. Sorry." She added after looking into his eyes shortly.

_That's fine. But sometimes, pain passes faster if you talk about it. _He advised her wisely. She was surprised to hear him say such things.

"Sadly, this kind of pain doesn't." She sighed and dropped on a stone beside the cave entrance. Looking around, she took in the beautiful scenery around her; Zuko had searched for the perfect place for Pyro to live, after the Dragon had grown too big to stay in the palace, and with some effort, he'd found it. The cavern was situated in a peaceful and idyllic part of the nearby forest, and a perfect distance from the palace. Pyro was close enough to join them every day, but far enough not to scare anyone away.

The birds were singing around her, she could make out the gentle plashing of the small forest stream and the sun was painting abstract patches of light onto the earth. All in all, this was like paradise.

Her heart calmed down and she felt ready to return to the palace with dignity, so she said goodbye to Pyro and left slowly. She was more relaxed now and decided to stop by Iroh's place to have some tea and dinner with him.

"Asahi!" The old man's face lit up when he opened the door to let her in. "What a delightful surprise." He gestured her to come in and she followed his invitation. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for some pleasant company at dinnertime." She told him with a warm smile. Completely impartial from her feelings for Zuko she felt a great affection for the old Firebender Master.

"Oh? Are you not dining with Zuko tonight?" He asked, slightly surprised. For appearances' sake she had kept dining with Zuko most evenings, though she was careful to always do so in someone else's company. She had no desire to sit at a table with only him and give him another opportunity to ask her weird questions.

"Zuko has company tonight." She answered shortly, her thoughts straying back to the way his face had looked when he had first discovered May. She sneered.

"Company?" Iroh asked, looking at her curiously.

"Well, you see, today, May came in for a surprise visit. I thought I should give old lovers some space." She helped Iroh set up the table on the outside veranda that overlooked his herb gardens. Though he was a General and the Firelord's uncle, Iroh preferred to do most things on his own, which was another reason why she liked him so much.

"May? What did she want?" He murmured.

Asahi wasn't sure whether he had actually asked her or if he was just talking to himself, but she answered anyway.

"I don't know. As I said, I left them alone." Her voice had a bitter ring to it and Iroh looked at her intensely. "What?" She asked, taken aback by his stare.

"Are you alright with that?" He asked, looking worried.

"What? Why wouldn't I be?" She asked him, a little rough. She bit her tongue as she noticed her tone.

"Hm…" Iroh simply answered to that, but didn't press the topic any further. "So, what kind of tea do you wish to drink tonight?"

…

Zuko shared dinner with May, reminiscing old times and catching up with what had happened in each of their lives lately. Though May was being unusually pleasant, he kept wondering where Asahi might have gone off to. He had asked Suki to go look for her, but she had just shot him a "Are-you-serious?!" expression, shaken her head and left. She hadn't returned so far.

"My parents are over the moon with my brother's development, but I can't help but see him as the baby he's always been." May sighed and Zuko returned his attention to her. He was having dinner with his beautiful, and surprisingly nice ex-girlfriend, so why did his thoughts stray to his cold and distant – well, whatever Asahi was supposed to be to him.

"Children grow much faster than we think." He commented. "And they're surprisingly sharp. At the beginning of our journey to the Sun Temple, our group had the opportunity to teach some children a bit of our bending basics. I must say, they all fared quite well."

May chuckled slightly and he shot her an irritated look.

"What?" He asked, not sure what she was laughing at.

"You? Teaching children? It's a rather curious thought." She answered and took another sip of her wine.

"Hm…?" He made, thinking of the look he and Asahi had shared back then; her eyes had been kind and encouraging, not mocking. He wondered if May would ever understand him and his thoughts the way Asahi had during their travels.


	37. Chapter 37

Asahi was waiting at their usual training spot and watched as the sun was rising on the horizon, tinting the Fire Palace in a gentle golden light. Pyro was at her side; he never missed on of their sessions and was always eager to do his best in the "dance" form that Asahi was teaching him and Zuko. She furrowed her eyebrows as she saw Zuko running towards them and stopping in front of them, slightly out of breath.

"You're late." She commented and noted that she hadn't had to tell him that in a while.

"I'm sorry." He answered, submitting unusually fast to her stern voice. "It got a bit late last night." He sighed. Ashai squinted her eyes, trying to stop herself from imagining just what had kept him awake for so long that he would oversleep.

"Well, if you know, then it's good." She said, trying to make her voice sound nonchalant. "But you better be on time tomorrow." She warned him in a sharper tone. She hated this gnawing feeling of jealousy that stubbornly spread in her heart; she wasn't used to the enormous amount of emotions that she was being confronted with since she'd met Zuko.

They started their practiced, but Ashai intervened after a short time.

"You're completely out of synch." She said. "Try to work with me here." She put her hands on her side and looked at him angrily.

"What?" Zuko looked offended. "You're the one who's going much faster than usually today! And I told you I'm tired." He tried to defend himself, sadly accomplishing just the opposite, as Asahi felt a new wave of anger rushing through her body. May's face flashed in front of her eyes.

"Tiredness is no excuse!" She scolded him loudly. "Especially if it comes from a long date-night!" Her chest heaved heavily as she turned away from him.

"What?!" Zuko grabbed her shoulder, pushing his fingers painfully into her flesh. "That wasn't a date night!" He said. She turned to face him again, her eyes close to slits now.

"Oh, yeah, like it's not romantic with wine and candles and all!" She spit at him. She knew she was unreasonable; it didn't matter what type of occasion had made him stay up too long, but still…

"How do you know all that?" Now it was Zuko's turn to grow angry. "You weren't even there!"

"I have my sources!" Suki had told her when they'd accidentally met in the hallway.

"Damn that Suki!" Zuko cursed under his breath. "But anyway, why did you leave so quickly anyway?" He asked her and tightened his grip on her shoulder. "I didn't ask you to!"

"I thought I should let old lovers spend their time solely in their own company." She pressed through her teeth.

"We're not lovers anymore! And what does it concern you what I do with May anyway?! You're being stupid!" He told her forcefully. Asahi's vision was suddenly tinted in red.

"I'm _what_?!" How dare he? "I'll tell you something you stubborn, rough, uncommunicative blockhead, I-!" But her vicious rant was interrupted by Pyro, who built himself up between the two of them.

_Don't fight! _He pleaded. _Why are you fighting?!_

His eyes were big, he looked anxious and Asahi felt aa sudden twinge in her heart.

"Pyro…" She began, trying to explain the inexplicable.

"Is this the wrong moment to tell you that I have some requests in my father's name?"

Asahi whirled around just to find May standing at the edge of their training grounds. She was graceful as ever, her hair carefully arranged and draped in proper Fire Nation clothing. She looked absolutely stunning in the morning sunlight; Asahi despised her.

Pyro approached May swiftly, eyeing her suspiciously.

_Who are you, little human? _He asked her; obviously, she didn't hear hm.

…

Zuko stared at his Dragon studying May and wondered about the weirdness of the situation. Here he had been, in a major fight with Asahi, about to find out where all her strange anger might have come from when, yet again, May had interrupted. Of course he didn't blame her, May had never been of the sensitive kind, but still, he wondered at her "perfect" timing.

"Oh, no, you're just on time." Asahi, beside him, told her. Her voice was cool and somewhat higher than usual.

May didn't pay her any attention; she was fully focused on the Dragon growling in front of her.

"Pyro." He said, careful not to address the Dragon's question too obviously. "Leave her alone, she's a friend."

Pyro shot him a concerned look, but backed away from May, who then carefully straightened out her still perfect dress.

"As I was saying…" She began, not before shooting Pyro another suspicious glance. "My father has some requests and was wondering whether you'd be able to fulfill them?" She looked at Zuko expectantly.

"May, I don't know if this is the right moment…" He began. He didn't want to shoot her off immediately, but he did care for his training time with Asahi; especially since they obviously had some things to discuss about.

…

Not the right moment? Asahi could barely keep herself from laughing out loud. Not the right moment! Zuko was indeed the most insensitive bloke she'd ever met. To relieve his conscience, she stepped towards May.

"Oh, don't worry." She said, fists clenched behind her back. "We were about to finish anyway." She turned to Zuko and shot him a bright smile.

"Asahi…" He began, probably trying to find some sort of excuse to stay with May.

"Oh, don't worry Zuko, go and talk about such important matters." She turned away from him and raised her hand in a wave. "You are the Firelord, after all." She then walked off with dignity, or at least she hoped she did and, once again, left Zuko in May's care. The only difference, and that somewhat helped her stay considerably calm, was that Pyro was watching over Zuko, making sure that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

…

Zuko rubbed his temples as he watched Asahi leave. A slow headache crept up his spine. He sighed, then turned towards May. His ex-girlfriend seemed oddly gleeful, smiling slightly when he focused his attention on her.

"My, she's quite a willful one, isn't she?" She commented which made Zuko quite angry.

"She has a fire in her soul." He explained, as calmly as possible.

_You better tell her to cease insulting Asa-mama, or I'll have to rip her head off. _Pyro told him in a dangerous tone, while he kept his eyes locked on May.

"Be a bit kinder." He told him. "I told you May's a friend."

"You can talk to him?" May asked, her face now genuinely glowing in wonder.

"Yes. So does Asahi. And I am to tell you that, if you insult her again, Pyro might rip your head off." He said and couldn't stop a small smirk when May's eyes filled with fear. "So, what did your father want?"


	38. Chapter 38

Asahi cursed herself; if that's the way being in love made her behave, she'd rather not feel anything at all. No, she corrected herself; she wasn't in love. She was giving her best to rid herself of these emotions. She had returned to her room, careful not to cross paths with Suki or Iroh, as she was in no humor to talk about her problems. For years she had dealt with anything on her own, and she wouldn't start being dependent of anyone now. Dealing with humans was such a pain, she noticed. At the Sun Temple, she could always retreat to Ran and Shaw's cavern whenever the Tribe's people were getting to close. Apart from Han, she had never had any friend whatsoever, so she had no idea how to behave, suddenly surrounded by so many of them.

Asahi's gaze fell upon the little carved dragon that Pak had given to her. She picked it up and laid down on her bed, carefully studying the small sculpture. Her mind returned to that day and she realized that seeing the way that Zuko had interacted with the children might have been the first time she'd had feelings of love for him. She sighed and turned to the side. She was being unreasonable, she knew that, but something still held her back from making peace with Zuko. The way he and May looked at each other… as if they constantly reminded each other of a secret they shared… she clenched her fist around the sculpture and put it back on the desk, deciding to get a bit more pumped up. It was a beautiful day outside and she hadn't even worked up a sweat at their morning training session. So she got up and walked out of the palace, making her way to Pyro's cavern.

The Dragon wasn't there yet, probably still keeping an eye on Zuko, she thought, not without a certain satisfaction. She took some deep breaths in, concentrating and trying to empty her mind of all earthly distractions. She took a fighting stance and began practicing her own interpretations of some of the forms her father had taught her. She always tended to lighten them up a bit, smaller steps, more fluid movements, so that they usually turned out to be more of a dance than a real Firebending form. She let go of herself and got lost in the movements that were so familiar to her that she even felt a sort of nostalgia while dancing.

…

Zuko watched Asahi dance in wonder. The grace of her fluid movements, the sheer power of her heatless flame and the beauty of the scene captured him and rushed through his body like a strong sea breeze. He shivered. Pyro, who hadn't stopped watching him for a minute since May's arrival, was finally directing his attention to someone else and stared at his foster mother just as bewitched as Zuko. They were united in silence as they watched Asahi slowly ease out of her fighting stance into a much more natural one; though, to Zuko, she seemed just as at home in her form as in a normal movement.

She opened her eyes and her gaze fell upon him. Her expression was neither cold nor distant and Zuko felt a warmth fill his heart he didn't know he had missed for so long. He approached her slowly.

"Zuko." She said, her voice much gentler than it had been before. "Why are you here?"

"I finished my dealings with May and decided to accompany Pyro to his home." He answered truthfully. Careful not to make any mistakes that would upset her again, he stopped a few feet away from her. "And you?" He asked.

"I needed some exercise." She explained and turned around gesturing toward the green ceiling above them. "And this is the perfect place to lose yourself." She looked at him again and he felt as if her eyes pierced his soul.

"It is quite pretty." He agreed, unable to say anything witty.

_I love this place._ Pyro told them. _It's perfectly in synch with nature._

Asahi smiled and Zuko tried not to give away the pride he'd felt at Pyro's words. After all, he had chosen the place for his Dragon to stay. Pyro curled down on the forest ground and looked at them.

_Come, sit with me. I want to enjoy this moment of peace and quiet with my parents._ He requested. Asahi slightly squinted her eyes and looked at Zuko with a confused expression.

"What?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"Pyro wants us to sit down and cuddle with him." She explained hesitantly.

_I didn't say cuddle! _The Dragon protested.

"Then you don't want us to cuddle?" She asked him and chuckled when he answered:

_I didn't say that either. _

Zuko could barely hold back a tender smile at their interaction. He felt so strongly for the two of them that it sometimes confused him. It must have been due to the special bond that all three of them shared, he deducted. As Asahi finally sat down and leaned on Pyro he joined them, closing the distance between the two of them slightly. He leaned back on Pyro's cool scales as well and followed Asahi's dreamy gaze upwards. The summer leaves were shining in a deep, dark green, illuminated by the afternoon sun and dancing in the wind whenever a small breeze was rushing by.

He felt so much at peace that he was scared to destroy it, but his curiosity won the battle in his mind and he turned to face her properly.

"Say…" He began. Asahi turned her head and looked straight into his eyes. Swallowing hard, he uttered out his next sentence. "What's wrong with you lately?" The moment the words had left his mouth he regretted them as he saw her tense up immediately. Her expression turned into a cold frown and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Nothing. What should be wrong?" She asked while staring far off into the distance, avoiding eye contact.

"Really?" Zuko felt slightly annoyed. "You're still playing that game?"

She shot him an angry glance but he didn't care; all these feelings of frustration that he had built up lately were making their way out without hesitation now.

"You've been nothing but, distant, cold and unpleasant. And whenever I try to address the topic, you get angry and the conversation ends in a fight. So it's barely 'nothing' now, is it?!" He asked provocatively.

"This is of no concern to you!" She told him fiercely and got to her feet. Pyro rose as well, and so Zuko followed them.

"What do you mean of no concern?" He asked her loudly. "It is of every concern to me. I've watched you and you're being all pleasant when you're with Suki or Uncle!" He had noticed that and it had made him even more worried. "Is this about your father's murderer? Because I faced him and didn't kill him?!" He lashed out at her and expected her to return the favor but was completely taken aback when he noticed that her shaking didn't come from fear or anger but simple laughter that was building up inside of her and then bubbling out freely.

…

Asahi was laughing. She didn't know why, but she was laughing hysterically. Because of her mother's cousin? Please! As much as she hated the man she would never want Zuko to kill anyone for her sake. What an absurd idea. What exactly did he take her for? When her laughter ceased she faced him with the coldest of smiles.

"You're by far the biggest idiot I have ever met." She told him and took a certain satisfaction at his shocked look. "Now leave, go back to your beautiful ex-girlfriend and let me stay here in peace and quiet, as I have been before you intruded so rudely."

When he didn't move, simply kept staring at her, she fired a flame at him and screamed:

"Leave! Or I will burn this whole dawn forest down to it's roots!"

Zuko evaded the flames, took a step back and furrowed his eyebrows. Then he turned around and stalked off. When he was out of sight, Asahi fell to her knees and silently let her painful tears wet the dry earth beneath her.


	39. Chapter 39

She was hot. She had never been this hot in her entire life. In front of her, through a haze, she could make out his face. His glowing golden eyes looked at her with compassion and she started feeling guilty. Then the other woman's face appeared, dark and handsome, wearing a smug smile. He turned to the other woman and they shared a long, intense kiss. Something ripped her heart apart and flames started erupting in front of her, beside her, behind her. They weren't the gentle kind she was used to, not the ones she could bend. They were the fierce, destructive kind, the ones that clawed at your flesh, melted your bones. She was hot, so unbelievably hot.

…

_Zu-papa, Zu-papa!_

Upon hearing Pyro's deafening roar, Zuko shot up in his bed. It was the middle of the night and he was glad that he had finally been able to slip into a sort of restless sleep, when his dragon had infiltrated his bedchamber. Zuko jumped out of his bed, wide awake and alert.

"What? What is it, Pyro, at this hour?!" He was grumpy; of course he was. The whole situation around Asahi was tormenting him.

_It's Asa-mama! _The Dragon said and a cold fear rushed through Zuko's body immediately. _She's in danger!_

"What?! Where?!" Speeding after his dragon, Zuko called out to him, panicked.

_In the woods! She wanted to sleep over at my cavern tonight, but she was a bit restless and when I woke up she had put the entire forest on fire! She's still in there, I couldn't get her out!_

"What?" Unbelieving, scared, he followed Pyro and from far off he could already see the blazing inferno that had once been Pyro's forest. The flames were blinding and the heat they emitted could be felt from the open plains in front of it. Zuko's heart sunk.

"She's in there?!" He shouted through the rushing noise of the fire.

_Yes! I tried to pull her out, but even I'm powerless against these flames!_

Zuko tried approaching the fire, but he took a step back immediately.

"No-no way!" He cried out, to no one in particular. The flames were growing stronger by the minute. Zuko just stood there, watching them grow, Pyro beside him, helpless. In a desperate attempt, he tried bending back the fire, extinguishing it, but it was useless. He heard others arrive, people from the palace, who talked to him, but he was unable to react. He pictured her, lying there, amidst the sea of flames and his whole body started shivering; he felt nauseous. Then, suddenly, he felt like something was brushing his right hand. He looked up, but there was nobody there. He blinked, and slowly, Asahi appeared before him smiling brightly. Eyes wide open, he tried touching her, but his fingers reached right through her apparition.

No, no!

She smiled and cocked her head, then leaned in on him.

"Remember." She whispered, a sound that rushed through his entire body. "Remember your fire."

And then, Zuko knew. He started breathing slowly, closing his eyes, calming down, going back in time. He saw Aang beside him, Ran and Shaw and the Rainbow flames they'd bestowed on them. He could feel his inner flame reappearing and when he opened his eyes, his gaze was clear. He took a deep breath and parted the flames. As if by their own will, they opened up a path for him, only for him, since they closed up right after he'd gone through. He quickened his step, suddenly running and there he saw her, tossing and turning on the ground. He rushed to her side, she was still breathing. Breathing a sigh of relief, he picked her up and made his way back through the flames. When he stepped out of the forest, Pyro was there, looking heavily relieved.

_You're both fine!_ He exclaimed happily. Iroh and Suki surrounded them, too, but he couldn't hear their voices, just kept on walking, careful not to hurt her in any way. He entered the palace, and Pyro had to stay outside. He carried her to his bedchamber, slowly lowering her onto his sheets. Her face was hot and she looked pained, but overall, she seemed fine. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Unseen by Zuko, a physician and his team had entered the room and they were now taking care of Asahi. All the while, he never let go of her hand and when her eyes flew open for a minute, she found him. The painful expression in her face disappeared immediately and made way for a gentle smile. Then her eyes closed up again and she fell into a deep sleep.

…

Asahi groaned. Her head hurt and her whole body felt hot. Her eyes fluttered and suddenly she realized she was not lying in front of Pyro's cavern, but in Zuko's room instead. She quickly tried sitting up, but her head was spinning, so she fell back into the sheets.

"Don't!"

She turned her head and caught sight of Zuko who, wet cloth inn hand, approached the bed.

"Zuko?" She said; her voice came out crisp and rough. "What am I doing here?"

"How do you feel? Are you in pain? Does it hurt anywhere?" He fussed around her, touching her face, which only made her blush.

"I-I'm fine." She lied, sure that she would be unable to take any more of his fussing. At her words, his shoulders set back and he started looking much more relaxed.

"I'm glad." He told her.

"What happened?" She asked. He shot her a short, concerned look and then started recounting the story of the night before.

"I'm so glad Pyro flew up here and told me what was up." He sighed. Asahi's heart skipped a beat.

"Pyro did what?" She sat up in the bed.

"He told me…" Zuko started, but then his voice trailed off.

"You heard him? You heard Pyro?!" Asahi was excited; finally, _finally_ the two of them were able to communicate.

"Uh… yes, I guess…" Zuko commented. He seemed only half as excited by the news, but Asahi thought it must have been because of the whole incident.

"That's wonderful!" Her eyes started shining. "Where is he now?" She looked around, not able to see him.

"He's outside of the palace; as are my uncle and most of the best Firebenders of the region. they're extinguishing the fire." Zuko explained and Asahi felt a pang of guilt in her heart.

"I see." She said. "I'm sorry."

…

Asahi had cast her eyes down and Zuko couldn't help but reach out to her. He stroked her cheek gently and she looked up to him, big-eyed.

"It's not your fault, ok?" She still looked doubtful of his words. "Just… what happened to make your powers go haywire like this?"

"I… had a nightmare." She said, casting her eyes away from him.

"Of your father's…?" He didn't finish the sentence, but her sad gaze told him everything. "I'm so sorry." He said, but she just shook her head.

"It's fine." She assured him. "I'm alright now."

And then she granted him the warmest of smiles.

…

A few days passed and slowly, everything got back to normal. Suki and Iroh fussed around Asahi as much as Zuko had and Pyro spent every free minute with her. She felt a bit suffocated by their love, but at the same time, incredibly warm. Sokka had stopped by, checking on his girlfriend after he'd heard about the incident and interviewed her thoroughly, as Katara had advised him to do. After reassuring for about the hundredth time that she was fine, he left to report everything to his sister.

And it was true. Asahi was awfully at peace with herself. The fact that Zuko had saved her from the flames and that Pyro and he were finally able to talk to each other had helped tremendously.

On a rainy afternoon Asahi was wandering the halls again, while Zuko and Pyro were at the throne room and she ran into May. She still disliked the gloomy woman, but she tried her best to appear kind and cheerful.

"Hello." She said and smiled, but May just frowned at her, so Asahi asked. "What?"

"You're awfully lively." The other woman commented.

"Um… thanks?"

"To think that you would cause such a ruckus." She rolled her eyes. "Good thing that you and Zuko had this Dragon talk stuff going on, huh?" She asked coolly.

"What do you mean?" Asahi asked, suddenly feeling cold. "Zuko only discovered his ability to talk to Pyro that night?"

"What? You mean he's been playing you?" She laughed.

"What are you talking about?!" Asahi squinted her eyes.

"Zuko was able to talk to Pyro long before that, you didn't know?" And she laughed again, but Asahi only heard her as if through a haze. Her peaceful feeling disappeared and the ground crumbled underneath her feet as she fell into a bottomless abyss.


	40. Chapter 40

Asahi frantically shoved her belongings into her bag. She was glad her hands had something to do, since she wasn't sure what would happen if not. Suki passed by her room, chatting with one of the guards. After a few seconds she returned, popping her head through the doorframe.

"Asahi?" She asked, confused. "What are you doing?"

Asahi didn't look up, just kept packing her clothes.

"I'm packing." She pressed through her teeth. She felt bad for being so rough with her friend, but staying angry at least stopped her from crying. And that she had done plenty, after the news May had presented to her the day before. All through the night, actually. She felt hurt, betrayed, humiliated. All the while she had encouraged Zuko and Pyro while they had put on some pathetic act in front of her, probably laughing at her behind her back. Angrily, she clenched her fist around one of her shirts and willed her tears back.

"Why are you packing? Are you going on a trip?" Suki still didn't grasp the situation, so Asahi turned to face her.

"No, Suki." She said as calmly as possible. "I'm leaving."

Suki's eyes widened in surprise.

"Leaving? Leaving the palace?"

Asahi nodded.

"But- why?" Was all her friend could think off.

"Apparently, Zuko is very well able to communicate with Pyro now, so I'm not needed any longer." Once again, Asahi faced her bag. "So, I'm going home."

"Home… you mean the Sun Temple?" Suki's voice was calmer now, but she still sounded baffled.

"Yes. Home."

"Will you… return?" Her friend sounded hesitant asking and Asahi felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"I… don't know." She answered honestly. "Maybe…"

"I see…" Suki said as Asahi kept packing.

When she looked up from her bag again, her friend was gone. Asahi cursed and made way for the palace gates.

…

"Oh, and do you remember that one time when we-" May's story was interjected by Suki's sudden appearance in Zuko's dining room. He looked at her, surprised she turned up so soon from her lunch break and cocked his head.

"Suki, is something wrong?" Zuko asked.

"Um… I, I think so." Suki's eyes strayed towards May and he took the hint.

"May, would you mind leaving us alone for a while." He faced her earnestly. May furrowed her eyebrows but consented to his request and left the room.

"So?" He turned to Suki again, taking a sip from his water.

"Do you… do you know Asahi is leaving?" His bodyguard blurted out. Zuko stopped short in his movement and stared at her, wide-eyed.

"What?!" He sprang to his feet.

"I thought so." Suki mumbled and put her hand in front of her eyes for a moment. "I passed her room and saw that she was packing so I asked her about it and she said she was leaving the palace." She told him. Zuko's brain stopped functioning properly.

"Leaving the palace…?" He couldn't make sense of Suki's words.

"For good." The girl concluded. "She said something about you and Pyro and such…"

But before Suki was able to finish her story, Zuko had already whirled around and run into the direction of Asahi's chamber. He found it empty and so sprinted towards the main gates. There, he found her hugging Pyro tightly, her bag at her feet.

"Asahi!" He called out to her and she let go of Pyro and turned to face him.

…

Asahi swallowed hard. She had wanted to avoid this conversation, but he had given her no choice.

"Zuko." She answered his call. He approached her quickly and took her shoulders in his hands.

"What is this talk about you leaving that I heard from Suki?" He asked her, his voice agitated. She knew her friend had told him.

"It's just what she told you… probably." She added. She wasn't sure, what exactly Suki had said to him.

"Why are you leaving so suddenly?!" He looked desperate in his attempt to make her stay.

"It's not sudden at all." Asahi tried her best to appear calm in front of him. She brushed off his hands and took a step back. "You're able to talk to Pyro now, so I'm no longer needed."

"That's not true!" He cried, taking a step towards her again. "I only just-"

"Oh, drop the act, will you!" Now her voice rose as well. "I know you've been able to talk to Pyro for a long time now already!"

After she'd finished her sentence, Zuko dropped the hand he hand extended to her and the colour drained from his face.

"…how…?" He asked, his voice but a whisper.

"Oh, your friend May enlightened me yesterday and Pyro told me the details just now." She purposely made her voice sound haughty. Zuko's eyes wandered to Pyro, who looked to the ground. "Oh, don't you dare blame him!" Asahi interjected before he could say anything. "This is all you fault!"

"Asahi, I…" He started, but she shook her head.

"Dragon's never _lie_, Zuko, they're completely frank! Yet you made Pyro do such a horrible thing! Why?!" As her voice broke, she could feel the tears coming, but made them stay on the rim of her eyes for a little longer.

"I… I thought you'd leave… if you knew…" Zuko's voice was low and his expression pained.

"… I might have." She admitted and she felt so sad.

"See. We, I, didn't want you to leave. That's why we pretended…" His voice trailed off. Asahi's heart fluttered, but she willed it silent.

"Why?" She asked and when he looked at her with a confused expression she added: "Why didn't you want me to leave?" She knew she was stupid, demanding an answer from him that could only hurt her, but she just had to know.

"I…I don't know." He said and her heart broke into two right then and there. "I just don't want to be lonely anymore."

As the tears streamed down her cheeks Asahi covered her face and sobbed silently. She could feel Zuko run his fingers through her hair and looked up. She swallowed and said:

"That's not enough for me."

Then she turned around, unable to stay by his side a minute longer and mounted Pyro. Atop of the Dragon, she looked down and called:

"Don't look for me. Nothing good will come out of it."

Then she gave Pyro a silent signal and the two of them shot into the bright blue sky as Zuko's figure grew ever smaller.

…

Two days later, Pyro reappeared in the palace. Zuko knew, he had brought Asahi to the Sun Temple and, in his desperation, tried ordering his Dragon to take him there.

_No._ Pyro said, looking awfully down.

"What do you mean, no?!" Zuko demanded, exasperated.

_Asa-mama said not to follow her and so I won't take you there._ His dragon answered.

"Oh, please!" Zuko snapped. "I have other means of getting into the Sun Temple!"

_Don't!_ Pyro built himself up in front of him. _If you do, my mother and father will show you no mercy._

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, taken aback by Pyto's strong reaction.

_They told me that, were you to approach Asa-mama against her will, they'd swallow you whole. _He explained. Zuko gasped. As much as he wanted to see Asahi, he wouldn't be able to make up with her once he was dead.

The following weeks, Zuko was a complete wreck. He was angry all the time, easily ticked off and lacking concentration. After finding out what May had told Asahi, he'd had had a major fight with her and, even though she ended up sincerely apologizing, he asked her to leave the palace immediately. He tried his best to forget Asahi, but every flame, every flicker of sunlight and every shadow reminded him of her. He was about to go crazy. One night, Suki visited him in his chamber. She had a worried look on her face and he sighed.

"Zuko, this isn't good." She told him, concerned.

"Oh, really?" He bit back but Suki just raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're completely out of it!" She said.

"So what?! Asahi's gone, so of course I would be. How am I supposed to raise a dragon on my own, huh?!" He threw his hands in the air.

"Is that really all?" Suki asked, obviously waiting for something.

"What do you mean?" He asked grumpily.

"Well, have you ever wondered if you could have told Asahi something different to make her stay?" She cocked her head, expecting more.

"I _told_ her I didn't want her to leave! What else could I have said?!"

"Really? You really have no idea?" Suki put her hands on her hips. "I don't believe you."

Zuko blushed; in the past few days something had dawned on him, something of utter importance. He had just been too much of a coward to admit it.

"I don't know what you're getting at." He said, but Suki didn't seem convinced.

"You know, I'm not the one who's desperate to hear it, but if anything, the words you're holding back this entire time might have just been the ones that would have made her stay, you know?" With that, Suki got up and left and Zuko slumped onto his bed. He knew what Suki wanted him to say, what Asahi might have wanted to hear.

_He loved her. Of course he did._


	41. Chapter 41

Asahi breathed in the mountain air and stretched out her arms. She tried taking in the scenery, tried making it calm her heart, like it had used to. But it didn't work. She opened her eyes again and sighed. A couple of days had passed since she'd arrived at the Sun Temple. Except from Han, no one had asked her any questions, and even he hadn't pressed the matter. When she'd told him that Zuko and Pyro were able to communicate now and so she had decided to come home, he looked incredibly happy. His presence soothed her aching heart a little, but she was still crushed.

_"__I just don't want to be lonely anymore." _

Her heart had repeated the sentence over and over again and every time it hurt a little more. She did her best to take her mind off the entire affair and spent as much time as possible with Han, but it only helped ever so much.

"Asa!" Han was running towards her, waving. He had finished his shift and they had promised to go for a walk together. Asahi put on a smile and waved back.

…

"You said what?!" Katara slapped the table so hard, the cup atop it quivered.

"I know, I know, I was stupid!" Zuko admitted desperately.

"Very much so, my dear nephew." Even Iroh came at him full force.

"Well, you've never been the brightest, but this tops it off." Toph commented dryly. Zuko looked around. He had assembled his friends to find a solution for his problem together.

"Look, I know I made a huge mistake, that's why I need your help." He explained and gave them a begging look.

"And Pyro really said 'swallow alive'?" Aang asked, looking concerned.

"…yeah…" Zuko sighed.

"Idiot." Sokka said. "But what are we supposed to do about it."

"I'm not sure! But I just want to get a chance to talk to her!" Zuko pressed. "I have to make up with her, I have to tell Asahi that I love her!"

"Why didn't you do so from the start?" Katara shook her head.

"I don't know…" He sighed.

"And then, after that?" Suki looked at him. She seemed content that he had finally admitted his feelings.

"After that what?" He was unsure what she wanted to hear.

"Well, after you tell her you love her, then what?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I plan on proposing, of course." Naturally.

"P-propose?" Aang blushed furiously.

"Oho, good choice." Iroh smiled.

"You want to marry her?" Katara looked baffled.

"Well, of course. I doubt I will ever find another person I'll love as much as I do Asahi. Look at me, three weeks without her and I'm here, begging you all to help me." He shrugged.

"Wow, he really is out of it, isn't he?" Toph asked.

"So? Any ideas?" He looked around hopefully, but all of them just shrugged or shook their heads. All except Sokka who was deep in thought.

"I might have an idea, but it really is a crazy one…" He murmured.

"The crazy ones are the best!" Toph decided, grinning, and so Sokka let them all in on his plan. It _was_ crazy. It was risky. And it was his only chance.

…

Asahi and Han were out for a picture when, at the edge of the horizon, Asahi made out Pyro's figure, approaching fast. She tensed and Han beside her seemed to realise it, since he followed her eyes immediately. Asahi was scared, but she decided to stay strong and stood up tall.

When Pyro arrived, she was glad that Zuko hadn't accompanied him. Asahi relaxed and granted her baby Dragon a warm smile.

"Pyro, it's been so long!" She said and flung her arms around him. "How have you been?"

_…__well._ He answered her, not without hesitation in his voice.

"Great master." Han bowed to him and Asahi shook her head, chuckling.

"You don't need to do that, Han." She told him.

_I like it when he does that, actually._ Pyro admitted and Asahi laughed.

"Alright." She said. "So, what brings you here? Want to visit your parents?"

Upon their parting, Asahi had made it clear that, contrary to Zuko, Pyro would always be more than welcome at her home.

_I will see them later, but actually, I'm here today to make a delivery._ He said.

"Delivery?" What would Pyro deliver?

_Here._ With his snout, he pointed at a small sachet that was tied around his belly.

Asahi took it and inside she found an official Fire Palace note.

"What's this?" She asked Pyro but he only answered:

_See for yourself._

"Asa? What's wrong?" Han asked, worried. "What's with that note?"

Asahi's eyes flew over the paper and she couldn't believe what she was reading.

"It says that… that the Firelord is getting married… and that the Chief of the Sun Worriers as well as their Princess and whatever attendants they need are officially invited to attend the engagement party…"

"Engaged? That guy?" Han looked unbelieving as Asahi stared at him. She couldn't quite believe it either. But it was such an official note.

"Is it… May?" She asked Pyro, but the Dragon avoided her gaze.

_I'll go see father and mother now. I'll come by later again to ask for your answer. _He said and quickly flew off.

"Seriously?" Han took the invitation from Asahi's hands and read it as well. "The date's one week from now… wow…"

Asahi felt weird. She had expected herself to throw a fit, cry, get angry. But instead, she felt… empty. She had no more energy left to dedicate to Zuko and so she slumped to the ground.

"Asa!" At once, Han was by her side. "Are you alright?" He put his arm around her and helped her stand up.

"I… I'm fine." She said. When he shook his head, she looked up to him. "What?"

"You're not." Han said. "In fact, you haven't been fine for even a single day since you returned." He told her. "I don't know what happened between you and that guy, but I really dislike him."

Asahi laughed quietly.

"Nothing much happened, really." She admitted. "Which might just be the problem."

Han wrinkled his forehead.

"I loved him." She said. "I loved him so much."

"Wha-?"

"But he didn't, and so I left. I never planned on seeing him again." She shrugged, smiling painfully.

"Then don't go!" Han cried out.

"I can't not go, Han, it's an official invitation. I don't have a choice." Asahi looked to the ground. She wasn't sure if she could take another meeting with Zuko.

"You have a choice." Han said firmly. "Choose me."

Asahi looked up, suddenly confused. "Huh?"

"Choose me." Han repeated. "Asa, you might have already noticed, but I have loved you since forever!" He now took her hand and Asahi blinked at him, not able to grasp the situation.

"I love you and I don't want you to leave!" Han shook his head again. "If you go to him, I get the feeling that I'll lose you. Stay with me instead."

No the emptiness was gone and Asahi's shell welled over with emotions. Love, sadness, hurt, surprise… she couldn't name them all.

"Han, I-" She started, but he stopped her.

"No, don't reply right now." He said. "I know what you will say now. But take some time to think about it. Maybe, just maybe, you'll know you can find happiness with me."

And with that, he jogged off. From the distance, Asahi could see that his face had flushed; so he had been serious. Once again, her legs gave way underneath her.


	42. Chapter 42

"Do you think she'll say yes?" Zuko asked Katara over lunch.

"To the invitation or your proposal?" She asked, mocking him.

"The invitation… no, both… I don't know, argh!" He leaned back in his chair, casting his gaze to the ceiling. Katara snickered.

"Well, to the invitation, definitely, she can't very well refuse such a formal letter." She said and Zuko felt somewhat relieved. ""Your proposal… that depends."

He looked at her beggingly. Couldn't she have lied just this once?

"Don't worry." She said, smiling brightly. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"If you say so…" But still, he sighed and stared at his food. He didn't actually feel like eating.

"You're acting like a little girl, Firelord." Toph commented, a smug smile on her face.

"Oh, shut up." He said, but his tone was soft. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

"You're right." She said. "And I sure hope I never will. Heaven behold I might act girly!" With that, she rammed her fork into the gigantic piece of meat on her plate and feasted on it.

"Yeah, heaven behold." Sokka cast her a dismissive look.

"Try to stay calm." Aang encouraged Zuko. "I'm sure she'll be overjoyed." He smiled gently; maybe this really was going to work.

"Sokka's plans usually work out… somehow." Suki agreed.

"Hey! What do you mean 'somehow'?!" Sokka pouted and his girlfriend patted his head, chuckling.

"Well… if you say so…" But still, he was not completely convinced.

…

Pyro approached Asahi slowly. Ever since they had parted that day, something had come between them. She had been scared that this would happen, but there had been no way to avoid it.

_So? What's your decision?_ The Dragon asked, his emerald scales glistening in the evening sun.

"I have given it proper thought, I also consulted the chief and we both agreed that we will attend the party." She told him.

She had thought hard about it, that she would have to face him, the consequences that would follow, but, after all, there was no way around it all. So she had decided in favor of the party.

_Good. _Pyro said. _I'll make sure to tell him._ He wavered in the air, hesitantly and after a few seconds, Asahi couldn't hold herself back anymore. She flung her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Pyro, how I've missed you!" She blurted out. "I'm so happy to see you again! You've grown so much." And he had. He was closing in on his parents' size by now.

_I'm very happy to see you, too._ Pyro told her and hummed.

Asahi enjoyed the close contact, as she felt it was washing away all her problems. She still hadn't answered Han yet, and, since he had asked her to give him a chance, she had decided to talk to him the next morning. She sighed and released Pyro.

"Now go!" She ordered him. "Fly like the wind! And give my greetings to Aang and the lot!"

And off he went, his giant figure disappearing into the sunset.

…

"Calm down, dear nephew." Iroh said, watching Zuko pace along the room. "Drink some tea."

"Tea won't help me in this!" Zuko lashed out and immediately regretted his words, but Iroh just kept smiling.

"Tea always helps." His uncle told him happily. "Don't despair." He added after seeing just what a nervous wreck his precious nephew had become. "Have you slept at all these last few days?"

"Barely." Zuko pressed through his teeth. "But that's okay."

"It certainly isn't." Iroh decided. "You'll want to look your best when the Dragonlord arrives, won't you?"

"_If _she comes, you mean." Zuko sat down by the table, took a sip of Iroh's hot tea, burned his tongue and got to his feet again.

"Zuko…" Iroh began, but he was unable to finish his sentence when he followed Zuko's frantic stare to the horizon. Pyro was approaching.

_Zu-papa, Zu-papa!_ The Dragon called out from afar.

"Pyro!" In Iroh's garden, the Dragon landed gracefully.

_I met her! _Pyro's voice was full of joy.

"How… how is she?" Zuko asked hesitantly.

_She seemed fine._ Pyro concluded. _But you never really know with Asa-mama…_

"I see." Zuko said. "And?"

Pyro curled around him and spit fire into the sky, then he turned to Zuko and answered:

_She's coming._

…

At the first rays of sunlight, Asahi sat straight up in her bed. The night before she hadn't been with Ran and Shaw as she'd felt that she definitely needed some time of her own to come to a decision. Almost in a trance, she dressed herself and went for a simple breakfast. She asked one of the Sun Warriors to tell Han where and when to meet her and then she went out for a walk. Before her eyes, all the times she'd spent with Han, all the happy memories were playing on repeat. She sighed and tried to calm her racing heart. When the time came, she walked to the gravestone, Han had crafted for her father and sat down in front of it. He closed her eyes and meditated, picturing her father's face in great detail.

"Forgive me." She whispered.

"Asa?" Han had arrived behind her. She turned to face him. "You wanted to see me?" His face was flushed and he seemed on edge. His nervousness added to her and she cleared her throat.

"Sit down. Please." She added when he hesitated and so he did.

"So… have you… you know…" He avoided her eyes and her heart felt heavy.

"I have. In fact, I've thought about it the entire night." She began, her fingers unconsciously plucking at the grass beneath her. "Han, you're my best friend. For years, you've been my only friend, the only human support I have ever had. All the moments we shared, all the laughter, the pain, it's irreplaceable."

He slowly looked at her and his expression changed from expectant to a pained smile. Asahi swallowed hard.

"I love you, I really do." She assured him. "But… just not that way…" Her voice trailed off. "I'm so sorry." She whispered and hid her face, the upcoming tears, behind her hands. After a few moments, Hand touched her hands, gently pulling them down.

"Look at me, Asa." He said when she avoided his gaze and she raised her head. He was smiling, but she could tell it wasn't a happy smile.

"I knew." He said. "I knew from the beginning that it would turn out this way. I just… waited too long." He concluded.

"I-" Asahi began, but he waved her off.

"No, you don't have to say anything, it's all due to my own stupidity. You see…" He extended his hand and put her hair behind her ear. "The moment I saw you and the Firelord, I knew I had lost the battle."

"Han…" She felt heavy. Heavy and sad and scared.

"Don't deny it, Asa, if you do, it will only hurt more." He dropped his hand and got up. "Look, I don't know what happened between you and the Firelord; actually, I don't want to know. But I realize he's hurt you and I really feel like beating him to a pulp."

"What?!" Surprised, she jumped on her feet.

"But that won't help you will it?" He asked. Asahi hesitated, then slowly shook her head.

"No, it won't…" She admitted.

"You see, that's what I thought." Han sighed. "Are you going?" He then asked.

"… I am." She answered. "But it's not like what you think-!"

"That's fine." Han turned towards the horizon. "But if you return any more hurt than you already are, I swear I'll kill that guy!"

Asahi's eyes flew open, but then he turned and grinned at her. His smile slowly subsided and he approached her slowly.

"Can I… hug you?" He asked carefully. She swallowed back her tears and nodded.

"Of course!" She exclaimed and threw herself into his arms.

"Still friends?" Han wondered and as an answer, Ashahi nodded furiously. After a few seconds, he let go of her.

"I'll go now." He looked at her and added: "Be happy." Giving her a soft kiss on the forehead, he left her and wandered off towards the Sun Temple. Asahi watched, her heart in turmoil, as his handsome figure disappeared behind a corner. She sighed and turned to the sky.

"You stupid Firelord!" She cried out and burst into hysterical laughter.


	43. Chapter 43

"No, no, not there, over there! Please use your head at least that much!"

The servant boy stared wide-eyed at Zuko who was yelling orders all over the place. But Zuko himself didn't even look at the same person twice before whirling around and giving ever different orders.

The preparations for the great party were in full bloom and the palace subject to pure chaos. The Firelord's nervousness had ceased a bit, but he was still eager to get everything to be perfect when Asahi would arrive. The members of the GAang had spread to their respective homes to get ready for the big day. The coming evening the palace would be buzzing with people from high and low all over the nation. Iroh was doing his best to keep his nephew in check, but Zuko was just too excited to see Asahi again.

One more day.

…

Asahi looked into the mirror, dissatisfied.

"I don't know." She murmured and turned around. "Don't you think this is a little too… plain?" She asked Siah who was heling her get ready for the evening. The other girl shot her a somewhat sour look. She had been cold towards her ever since the rumor of her rejecting Han had spread through the temple.

"I think you look just fine." She answered curtly.

"Hmmm…" Asahi made. "I still think it lacks something… oh, I know!" Asahi's eyes lightened up as she remembered something great.

"What?" Siah asked, while folding some clothes.

"You know, that!" Asahi pressed. "The ornaments!"

At these words Siah froze and tensed.

"No." She whispered.

"What?" Asahi asked, confused.

"No!" Siah whirled around and angrily stared at Asahi. "Not the sacred ornaments!"

"Siah…" Asahi put a hand on her friends' arm to calm her down. "What's wrong?"

Looking straight into her eyes, Siah's angy expression slowly turned into a desperate one and she started sobbing.

"Why would you want to use the sacred ornaments to impress that man?" She asked through her hiccups.

"I…" Asahi was at a loss of words.

"Why would you do something like that? Is he that much better than Han? Is it that important?" She looked up, big-eyed and Asahi cast her gaze down.

"You might not understand…" She started, trying to find the right words. "But it I of utmost importance to me that I look my absolute best tonight…" She admitted.

"Is it that important?" Siah repeated, slowly calming down. Tears filled Asahi's eyes as she nodded.

"I need to look like a princess. Otherwise, I won't be able to get through this night." A single tear streamed down her face. Siah nodded and went out of the room. She returned and silently draped the precious ornaments on Asahi. Together, they looked at her through the mirror.

"You don't look like a princess." Siah said. "You look like a goddess."

…

"Is this… alright?" Zuko asked Aang who hung around his room as he got dressed.

"You look just fine, Zuko." The Avatar reassured him nonchalantly.

"Well, what do you know? You're a guy." Zuko looked down on himself and sighed. He was dressed in his most formal clothing, his hair done up properly, wearing the Firelord ornament.

"Oh, well, if you don't need my opinion." Aang shrugged and went for the door.

"No, wait!" Zuko pulled Aangs sleeve and the Avatar turned around, grinning mischievously.

"You know, you're awfully cute lately." He commented and Zuko blushed.

"I'm not _cute_!" He practically spit out the words.

"Whatever you say, my friend." And Aang chuckled.

"Aang…" Zuko started, his voice all serious and the Avatar looked up. "Will this be… fine?" He asked, swallowing hard.

"…I don't know." Aang admitted. "But we're here for you, however it might turn out."

Somehow, these words reassured Zuko more than anything else.

…

Asahi and the chief had travelled on Ran and Shaw who had dropped them off in walking distance to the palace. The chief had smiled pleasantly when he had seen her and even Han had granted her a warm smile on her departure.

_If anything should happen, anything at all, make sure to rely on us, Little. _Ran said before the dragons had left.

"I will." Asahi had answered.

_If he dares to make you unhappy again, I might forget myself._ Shaw had told her and she had laughed, hoping he wouldn't be true to his words.

Zuko's engagement with another woman, most probably May, could do nothing but make her unhappy. She refrained from telling her foster parents that, though.

"Are you ready, princess?" The chief asked and extended his hand. This man had been something of a fatherly figure to her all throughout her life. She took his hand and nodded.

"Let's go!" She said.

…

Zuko was surrounded by people. People he knew, people he didn't know, those who were important and those who weren't. He was insanely uncomfortable. It was well into the evening and Asahi still hadn't arrived; he started feeling fidgety.

"Stop fidgeting, Zuko." Katara beside him hissed. Aang had left her side attending to his Avatar duties and so she had accompanied him.

"I'm not fidgeting!" He hissed back and she shot him a doubtful look. They were currently in the process of listening to a very dull story one of the Fire Nobles recounted in their group.

"Don't worry, she'll come." Katara said and gently touched his shoulder to help him calm down. He sighed silently.

"Arriving: Hak Chi, Chief of the Sun Warriors and Dragonlord Asahi, Princess of the Sun Warriors!" The announcer called out. Zuko whirled to the entrance, completely ignoring the people in front of him. First, he saw the Chief, all chubby and friendly as he knew him and then Asahi came to sight. For Zuko, time slowed down right then and there. Had he thought Asahi beautiful on the night of the summer solstice, her current state was much, much more. She was draped in red and golden clothes that revealed her tummy and most of her legs. Golden rings were dangling at her wrists and ankles and broke the light of the torches that illuminated the room. But Zuko could barely take his eyes of her face. Her glowing red hair was decorated with a golden tiara that sparkled with red jewels and something quite similar hung from her ears and around her neck. Zuko just stood there, mouth wide open, as she gracefully entered the room. The conversation in the great hall came to a halt as everyone seemed to be captivated by Asahi's apparition.

"She look… incredible!" Katara whispered. Before Zuko caught her eye, the sudden silence was broken by a dark rumbling that grew ever louder. Pyro appeared through one of the tunnels Zuko had had custom-made throughout the palace for him. The crowd parted, allowing the great Dragon to rush right ahead towards Asahi and great her with a deafening roar.

…

Asahi felt uncomfortable when the entire crowd stared at her. Too scared, she didn't dare look around for Zuko, but, lucky for her, the people's attention was quickly drawn to the giant green Dragon that appeared in their midst. Delighted, Asahi took note of the tunnel Zuko had probably built for Pyro. Her baby Dragon greeted her with a head-splitting roar and Asahi's mouth spread into the widest of smiles before she flung herself at Pyro.

"Pyro! My dear little Pyro!" She exclaimed. When she let go, the crowd had settled down and everyone was back to what they had one before her arrival. She breathed a sigh of relieve.

"Asahi, you look stunning!" Aang was the first of the GAang to greet her properly and she happily grabbed his hands.

"Thank you!" She said. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Little by little, the rest of her friends gathered round and they exchanged pleasantries. But none of that calmed down her belly.

"So…" She began hesitantly. "Where's the groom-to-be?" She did her best to make her voice sound nonchalant.

"I'm right here."

Asahi whirled around and stared at Zuko. He looked absolutely amazing in his formal dress and her heart skipped a beat. She willed it to calm down and smiled.

"Zuko, how nice to meet you again." She said and extended her hand for him to take it. He looked down on it and then up again without reciprocating her gesture. Suddenly, she felt stupid, standing in front of him like this. He kept staring into her eyes without saying anything, and she started fidgeting.

"What?" She asked, averting her eyes.

"Will you dance with me?" He suddenly asked, offering her his arm.

Asahi blinked, flabbergasted, but couldn't stop her fingers from closing around his arm. Silently, he led her onto the dance floor; all other couples hurriedly left and the music died out. Then, out of nowhere, a rhythmic chant erupted and filled the room. Asahi locked up and decided to let Zuko get ahead of her just this once. He took her into her arms and together they started dancing.


	44. Chapter 44

_Hey, Chappgirl here once more! So, this is the last official chapter. If there's any wish, I'll have some short stories at hand that I might introduce as an Epilogue. However, that depends on whether you might want to read that._

_This is the first story I actually finished after starting to write it! Can you believe that? I'm such a lazy bum :P_

_But seriously, I'm really proud I finally finished and I hope all of you enjoyed Asahi's and Zuko's journey together as much as I did. To a bright future!_

Zuko had waited for this moment. For this day, this dance. In his movements, he tried telling her all he never had gotten the chance to and with satisfaction he saw Asahi's eyes widen as she realized just which dance they were dancing.

Quite on purpose he had chosen the very routine he and Asahi had studied together after returning from the Sun Temple. This time, nothing interrupted them; nobody disturbed and not a thing in the world could have torn the two of them apart. At least, those were Zuko's feelings. He was completely and entirely captivated by the woman in front of him. The rhythm took over and they were completely in synch, as if they had never ceased their training for a single day.

When the music stopped and their dance came to a sudden halt, they were both panting. Only seconds afterwards, the crowd broke into a loud cheer. Reluctantly, Zuko withdrew his eyes from hers, turned to the people and bowed. He didn't quite like this part, but it was all for the plan. Asahi beside him stared blankly, then rushed off. At the corner of his eye, he saw her escaping onto one of the palace balcony.

After accepting everyone's compliments, he slipped out of the room, after her.

…

Asahi was leaning on the balcony's guardrail, cooling her head in the refreshing night air. She didn't look up when she heard someone step out behind her.

"You know, you really shouldn't do that kind of dance on your engagement party." She said after waiting for him to start a conversation.

"Why not?" He asked, his voice completely calm. She cursed herself for being the only one whose heart was beating so fast. At his words she whirled around to face him with an angry expression.

"If you have to ask that I guess May won't be a happy wife." She told him.

"Who knows." He shrugged.

"How can you be so nonchalant about this?!" She stared at him in disbelief.

"About May? Easily. You might not have realized, but she isn't even here tonight." He pointed into the ballroom, but she didn't take her eyes off him.

What was he talking about?

"You're not… marrying May?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, I have no wish marrying May." Now he turned to her full-front.

"Oh." Was all she could say. Who? Who then? Screamed her heart. She stayed quiet.

"How… are you?" He asked in a low voice.

"What? You're asking me that now?" She snorted. "I'm okay." No she wasn't.

There was a long pause and Zuko just kept staring at her until she felt unbearably itchy.

"So, where is the happy girl then? Shouldn't you be with her right now?" Asahi had turned her eyes away from him, staring off into the distance.

"I am." Zuko said and Asahi turned her head back to him, her heart skipping a beat.

"…what?" She asked, but instead of an answer, Zuko gently took her hand into his.

"Asahi." He began. "I know I've been a complete idiot, letting you go so easily, but I just didn't know back then what I know now."

Asahi sucked in her breath, careful not to get her hopes too high up, confused.

"Look." Zuko continued. "Without you, those last weeks, I've been a mess. I have honestly never met another person just like you. And I don't mean the Dragonlord or Princess thing, I mean _you._"

Asahi's eyes filled with tears and she willed them back.

"This right here is my last hope and I would be honored if you could release me from my suffering and consent to become my wife and Lady of the Firenation. I love you."

He kneeled down, offering her his Royal Emblem and now she couldn't stop herself from crying.

"Zuko." She said, between her silent sobs. "I love you. I do."

His eyes started shining.

"But I never had the intention of becoming Lady of the Firenation." She shook her head and watched his face fill with despair. Before she hurt him anymore, she added:

"You don't understand. I do not wish to marry the _Firelord_." She carefully pronounced the last word and something seemed to click with Zuko. He got to his feet again and inched a bit closer. He loosened his hair tie and gently put it in her hands, then locked his gaze with hers. He was now standing in front of her, hair let down and looked almost wild.

"I love you. Not as Firelord, not as Pyro's companion, but simply as a man. And as a simple man, I'll ask you once again: will you make me the happiest man alive and become my wife?"

Now, finally, Asahi's mouth spread into the widest of smiles.

"I will!" Was all she could say before he pulled her into his arms and closed her lips with a long, slow, kiss.

Everything inside Asahi danced and when they let go of each other she felt like nothing in the whole world could ever make her return from the happy place she was in. Zuko once again offered her his arm and she took it.

"Now, are you ready?" He asked, smiling mischievously. She took the hint and grinned.

"Anytime." She told him and together they entered the ballroom.

…

Zuko, still beaming, waved for an attendant and told him the happy news.

"Please cheer for Firelord Zuko and his fiancée, Dragonlord Asahi!" The announcer called out and at once, everybody congratulated them. Asahi at his side was laughing out loud and Zuko himself felt so elated that he almost didn't realize Aang and the others approaching. When he did, he was caught in a sea of loving hugs, the last of which to come from his uncle.

"Dear nephew, I am so, so happy for you." Iroh said, teary-eyed. Zuko smiled and answered:

"Thank you, uncle." He then looked at Asahi again who happened to notice his gaze and smiled lovingly.

"Dear Asahi, I'm so happy you'll be joining our little family." Iroh announced and hugged her, too.

"So am I, uncle."

At her words, Iroh shivered in delight.

"Is it weird?" Asahi asked and blushed. "I just wanted to try this once." She grinned.

"No, no." Iroh told her. "It makes me happy."

They spent a blissful evening in great company.

…

Asahi paced through her room. She knew, she wasn't supposed to do those things before their wedding, but she just… wanted to be with him so much. She felt that every second away from Zuko was like hours to her. She went to her door, and then back to her bed again when she heard someone knock. She pulled her nightgown closer and said:

"Come in."

To her surprise her fiancée entered. Fiancée; she would have to get used to that. All through the evening, they hadn't found another chance to be alone together. It seemed that he might just feel the same way she did.

Zuko's gaze was soft as he silently closed the door behind him.

"I couldn't sleep." He told her.

Asahi took a deep breath and approached him.

"Me neither." She answered truthfully.

Through the windows, blue light illuminated the otherwise dark room. It fell on Zuko's face and Asahi believed she had never seen anything so beautiful. She reached out to him, gently stroking his scar. He leaned his cheek against her hand and closed his eyes. Asahi wondered whether she had slipped off into some kind of dream by her own.

"I can't believe this is real." He said and she chuckled. "What?" He looked displeased when he opened his eyes again.

"Nothing." She smiled softly. "I just thought the exact same thing."

Their faces were only inches away from each other and unspoken words hung like a question between them. No one seemed to dare making the first move, but somehow, they were still closing in on each other. Then, after what felt like an eternity to Asahi, their lips touched. She let herself go as he closed his arms around her, enjoying the strange sensation his gentle kiss erupted in her belly. She put her arms around him, too scared that her legs might give way underneath her.

Slowly, without letting go of each other, they approached her bed and when the edges of the mattress pressed at her legs she sat down. Zuko took a step back and studied her, a haze over his eyes. Then, he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the ground. Asahi's pulse sped up, but in the most pleasant of ways.

"If you… don't like this, just say it." He whispered, causing the corners of her mouth to point upwards. He was so gentle, no one ever realized that. Well, one more secret for her, she thought.

"It's fine." She answered and didn't resist when he slowly slid her gown off her shoulders.

…

In the middle of the night, Zuko suddenly woke up, frantically turning to the side. When he found Asahi sleeping peacefully beside him, he relaxed immediately. He watched her breathe slowly and gently brushed through her hair. Luckily, she didn't wake up. Smiling, he thanked the gods that bestowed her to him. Slowly, he slipped back into a dreamless sleep.

…

Asahi's eyes fluttered open and, to her surprise, she stared right at her future husband's face. Blinking furiously, she reached out to him. His cheek was warm and when he opened his eyes, he smiled.

"Good morning." She said, feeling nothing but love for him.

"Morning." He leaned in to give her a short peck on the forehead. "Have you slept well?" He asked.

"Like a baby." She admitted, slowly getting up and dressing herself. "And you?"

"Pretty well." He said, while getting dressed as well.

"Can I be honest?" Asahi asked carefully.

"Of course." He faced her with a serious expression that made her smile.

"I half expected to wake up at the Sun Temple." She told him. "Like this was all a dream."

He looked surprised and then his expression softened. He approached her and gave her a quick kiss.

"Well, good for us it isn't." He smiled, satisfied.

Asahi chuckled.

"Yeah."

"…and you're really okay with this?" Zuko asked after a short pause.

"Hm?" Confused, she squinted her eyes.

"Marrying me, I mean. Will it make you happy?" He looked so worried that she put her arms around his neck and pretended to think really hard.

"Let me think about it." She began. "Being close to Pyro all the time, being friends with the Avatar and his group, being a niece to the great General Iroh, being your wife? Yeah, I think I'll be all right!"

She grinned and together, from now until forever, they locked their hands and braced themselves for the world outside.


	45. Epilogue

_Hello everyone, Chapgirl here. This is a lottle epilogue as well as a small advertisement. I'll be taking part in the Inkitt fandom contest, assigning The Last Of The Dragonlords. Details will follow. If you like my story, please go there and help me out ;)  
Cheers!_

"I'm going to kill him!" Asahi screamed as another wave of red-hot pain surged through her body. "I'm going to rip his stupid little head off!"

"There, there." Iroh made, gently patting her head, while she all but squeezed the life out of his other hand. "I'm sure he'll be here soon.

"And then what?" She grunted through her teeth, trying to suppress the desire scream once more. "It's his fault I'm like this!"

"I wouldn't exactly say 'fault' though…" Suki commented, looking at her good friend in doubt.

"If you were in my place, you would agree with me." Asahi gnarled as another wave took over her body. "Argh!"

Katara came to her side, drying her wet forehead with a nice and cool cloth.

"Asahi, you're not alone out there." She scolded her kindly. "Every mother in the world has gone through this." She raised her eyebrow and the smallest of smiles slipped over her face.

"Really? Because I think that nobody would ever have siblings this way." Asahi squeezed her eyes shut, crushing Iroh's hand in the process.

"Oho!" Her uncle made at the unexpected pain. "Dear niece, don't worry. You know the Firelord is on his way."

"Did he have to go to a conference with the Earth King when I'm giving birth?!" She shouted and screamed as the pain took her over.

…

Zuko sat on Pyro's back, willing his loyal dragon to go faster.

"Come on, Pyro!" He yelled over the rushing wind. "I have to get home!"

_I'm trying my best, Zuko, and you know it! _Pyro commented. Since he had grown to his full size, and likewise developed a deep, roaring voice, he had ceased to use Zuko's nickname.

The rushed over the countryside and Zuko had to cling to his Dragon forcefully, so as not to fall off. Why did the Earth Palace have to be so far away?

When he closed his eyes, he could picture her face; he always did it as a way to calm down, to find his inner centre. In his head, he travelled back in times, several months ago, when she had told him…

He was sitting in his thrown room, another long day of work had passed, but the thought of returning to Asahi in the evening always kept him going. He was surprised when the doors opened and his wife entered the room. His wife; he loved the sound of it as much as the fact that she would be by his side forever. Ever since their wedding, Asahi was being dressed with utmost care, providing her with the finest Fire Nation clothing and her very presence could add dignity to a room.

"Asahi." He descended from his throne, smiling warmly as he took her into her arms. When he released her, she looked up at him with a shaky smile. At once, he was on edge; whatever it was, she didn't feel well. "What is it?" He asked, an anxious ring to his voice.

"Zuko, I…" She began. "I'm not sure how to tell you this…" She swallowed.

Zuko's eyes widened and a hundred dooming scenarios played through his head in a matter of seconds.

"Um… I think that…" Asahi mumbled. "Well, you see… I met Katara today and… well, you know Katara, with her healing powers and all and… it seems, well she said that…"

"Are you un-" Zuko started, preparing for the worst, but she cut him off.

"I'm pregnant!" She had squeezed her eyes shut and now slowly opened on of them, just to find him staring at her blankly.

"Preg… nant?" He asked her.

"We're having a baby, Zuko." She affirmed.

"Baby?" He felt stupid, but not a single witty word would leave his mouth. Smiling warmly, Asahi took his hands and locked her gaze with his.

"Yes." She answered. "You're going to be a father."

At this revelation, a cold wave of fear rushed through Zuko's body, leavin him feeling tiny and helpless.

"I…" He began, stumbling backwards in search for a chair to sit on. He found one and let himself slump down. "I can't…" Before he could stop the words, they had already left his mouth. When he looked up at his wife, he saw her crying silently and gasped.

"You… you don't want the child?" She whispered through her silent sobs.

"What?! No!" He sprang to his feet, carefully draping his arms around her. "It's just that I… I don't think I'll make a very good father, that's all." She looked up at him, eyes reddened by her tears. "I'm scared, Asahi." He admitted slowly.

"So am I." She told him and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, this is going to be very different from raising a Dragon, you know. What if I make a mistake?" She asked nd he blinked.

"You'll be a wonderful mother." He said and saw doubt clouding her features. "After the wonderful job you've done with Pyro and the way you talked to those kids back then… This child is very lucky to have you."

Asahi's expression softened and as her hand reached up to his face, she granted him a loving smile.

"And you will be a wonderful father." She told him. He didn't believe it, but he fell silent. Asahi chuckled. "Oh, come on Zuko! After the wonderful job you've done with Pyro and the way you talked to those kids back then… This child is very lucky to have you." She repeated his words and grinned mischievously.

Defeated, he sighed and then smiled.

"A child…" He said and found his eyes tracing down her body to her belly.

"It's not visible yet." She said when she followed his gaze. He didn't care if he could see it or not; carefully, he placed a hand on where, very soon, his child would be. A sudden, insanely strong feeling of love filled him up from head to toes.

"We're having a baby!" He exclaimed, smiling brightly and Asahi rewarded him with the brightest of smiles herself.

_There it is, the palace!_ Pyro's voice ripped him out of his daydream and excitement rushed through his body. Almost there.

…

"Aaargh!" Asahi screamed. The pain was almost unbearable and in the part of her brain that hadn't stopped working she wondered how any mother had ever gone through this. She missed Zuko and tears started streaming down her face. The ruckus around her was barely notable to her, Katara's reaffirming voice in her ear or Iroh's gentle touch… She just wanted to see her lover's face more than anything and suddenly she felt so lost.

"Keep pushing!" Katara told her. "It's almost there."

So she did and all at once, she could hear a voice.

"Asahi!" Zuko stumbled into the room, dishevelled and gorgeous and from one moment to another, her mind was at ease. Their eyes met, and all was well with the world.

""You're… here." She panted and he joined her, taking Iroh's side by her bed.

"Yes." He said and smiled.

"Push, Asahi!" Katara yelled and she followed the Waterbender's instruction. Through the haze of the pain, she could see Katara start smiling, holding up the tiniest human she had ever seen. She turned her head to look at Zuko, only to find him having gone very, very pale.

"Zuko?!" Asahi cried, when her husband's knees gave in and he slipped away. Iroh was by his side immediately, supporting the Firelord and lying him down on the floor, as the bed was currently occupied.

"He's fine." Iroh said. "Just unconscious."

Relieved, Asahi turned back to Katara and the bundle in her arms. She reached out to receive the baby and an unknown feeling of eternal love and affection took her over.

…

Zuko's eyes flew open and he found himself lying comfortably in his bed. He looked around, only to find his uncle by his side.

"Uncle, what-?" He asked and Iroh smiled.

"It seems the sight of a newborn child might have been too much for you, dear nephew." He explained.

"The child!" At once, Zuko was on his feet, rushing to Asahi's chamber, Iroh close behind him.

He flung the doors open and found a picture of utter peace in front of him. Asahi sat up in the bed, holding the child close and quietly humming a tune. She looked up when she heard him enter and her face broke into a beautiful smile.

"Come." She said in a low voice, when he just kept staring. Slowly, his feet made their way to her side and he looked down on the tiny bundle in her arms.

"Zuko, meet your daughter." Asahi said, handing him the baby. Very, very carefully, he took her and studied the shrivelled face. He could not yet see much of him or Asahi in the little creature, except maybe for the bright golden eyes.

"She's beautiful." He concluded, being unable to avert his eyes from his daughter.

"What should we call her?" Asahi asked and at that he raised his head to look at his love.

"A name?" He asked, slightly overwhelmed.

"Yes, she has to have a name now, doesn't' she? After all, she is going to be the next Firelord." Asahi grinned and Zuko gasped as that realisation hit him.

"…what do you suggest?" He asked after a moment.

"Well…" Asahi began carefully. "Personally, I have always had a preference…"

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind… may we call her Izumi?" Asahi asked with big, expectant eyes. Zuko smiled gently as he led his gaze back to his daughter.

"That's a fine name indeed." He said. "Welcome to our world, Firelord Izumi."


End file.
